The top reported proficiency rate is 56% in English language arts. The lowest is 36% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on La Union Elementary
La Union Elementary sits in Anthony, New Mexico, a small border community perched on the state line with Texas in the Upper Mesilla Valley. The school serves pre-kindergarten through sixth grade and operates as a regular public school within the Gadsden Independent School District. Anthony itself was incorporated only recently as a municipality, and it remains a low-density, auto-oriented town stretched along Interstate 10 between El Paso and Las Cruces. Most residents drive to work, and the town functions primarily as a residential community within that regional corridor. The built environment reflects highway development rather than a pedestrian grid, with a modest Main Street corridor and civic facilities distributed along the highway rather than clustered in a traditional downtown.
The student body at La Union Elementary is almost entirely Hispanic, reflecting the broader community, which is itself predominantly Hispanic. Every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, which speaks to the economic conditions of the surrounding area. Anthony's median household income sits well below national levels, and the poverty rate is elevated. The school's enrollment is moderate for its grade band, with fairly even distribution across the elementary grades. Data on individualized education programs and English learner status was not available, so a parent wanting to understand special-population services would need to ask the school directly.
On state assessments, La Union Elementary posts results that tell a mixed but largely encouraging story for the context it operates in. English language arts proficiency is the school's clearest strength, with a majority of tested students scoring proficient or above. That is a solid mark for a school serving a community with this economic profile. Math proficiency lands below the ELA mark but still represents a substantial share of students reaching proficiency. Science results are weaker, with a smaller portion of students demonstrating proficiency. The science assessment covers fewer tested students, which can affect the reliability of comparison, but the result is worth a parent's attention. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand how science instruction is sequenced and supported across the upper elementary grades.
The state reported only a single year of assessment data, so there is no trend to describe. Whether these results represent an improvement, a plateau, or a dip from prior years cannot be determined from what was provided. Average scale scores were also not available, which limits the ability to characterize performance beyond the proficiency cut.
Anthony's housing market is affordable relative to both state and national benchmarks. Home values in the school's zip code sit below the New Mexico state benchmark and well below the national figure. Rent data was not available. The affordability picture means that families looking to purchase a home near the school would face lower entry costs than in most of the state, though household incomes in the community are also low, which narrows the practical benefit of that affordability. The town's growth trajectory has been flat to slightly declining, with a modest population dip between incorporation and the most recent census, followed by a slight estimated rebound. No major new housing developments or commercial projects surfaced in publicly available sources.
The Gadsden Independent School District, which governs La Union Elementary, did not yield parent-relevant recent changes in available public reporting. We looked for district-level shifts in curriculum, budget, referendums, or property tax matters and found little of lasting impact, so we left that out rather than guess. The district operates multiple schools in and around Anthony, with some facilities sitting just outside the municipal boundary.
La Union Elementary presents a straightforward picture. It is a community school serving a predominantly Hispanic, economically disadvantaged student body in a small border town. Its English language arts results are a genuine bright spot. Math is respectable. Science is a soft spot that warrants follow-up. The surrounding community is affordable but economically constrained, auto-dependent, and modest in its growth outlook. For a family already rooted in Anthony or the Gadsden district, the school offers a local option with measurable academic strengths in literacy and a peer environment that mirrors the community itself.
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