The top reported proficiency rate is 44% in English language arts. The lowest is 32% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Chee Dodge Elementary
Chee Dodge Elementary sits along a state highway in Yah-ta-hey, a small rural community in McKinley County, a short drive north of Gallup. The place grew around a trading post and remains a roadside settlement today, with the elementary school serving as the primary local institution. There is no traditional downtown or civic center, and the built environment is car-dependent, with residents averaging several vehicles per household. The community has seen recent growth in both population and household income, according to publicly reported census and economic data, though no specific housing developments or commercial projects were identified in available sources.
The school is part of Gallup-McKinley County Public Schools, a district that stretches across a large rural swath of western New Mexico. Chee Dodge serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, and enrollment is modest for its grade band. The student body is overwhelmingly Native American, with a substantial Hispanic minority and a small handful of students from other backgrounds. Nearly every child at the school qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic reality of the surrounding community. This is a school serving a low-income, predominantly Indigenous population in a remote corner of the state.
On the most recent state assessments, Chee Dodge's results tell a mixed but not discouraging story. English language arts is the school's relative strength, with a meaningful share of tested students reaching proficiency. Math and science proficiency rates are lower, with roughly a third of tested students demonstrating proficiency in each subject. A parent comparing the three subjects would see ELA as the area where the school is having the most success moving students toward grade-level standards, while math and science remain areas where most students are still working to get there. Because only a single year of assessment data was available, there is no trend to report. We looked for multi-year results but found just one year of reported figures, so there is no way to tell from the data whether performance is improving, holding steady, or slipping over time.
Several categories of information that parents often ask about were not available in the provided data. The school's individualized education program rate and English learner rate were both missing, which limits the picture of how the school serves students with disabilities and those developing English proficiency. Data on discipline, course access, staffing ratios, and attendance was also absent. No information on programs such as dual-language instruction, after-school offerings, or enrichment activities was provided. A parent considering Chee Dodge may want to ask the school directly about these supports, particularly given the predominantly Navajo student body and the question of how Native language and culture are woven into the school day.
The school has no graduation rate, which is expected for an elementary school serving only pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. After fifth grade, students move on to Chief Manuelito Middle School in Gallup and then to Gallup High School, both located about eight miles south in the county seat. This means families should anticipate that their children will transition to schools in Gallup for the upper grades, a shift from a small community school to larger institutions in a town setting.
We searched for parent-relevant changes in the Gallup-McKinley County district, such as curriculum shifts, facility plans, or policy changes, but the available research did not surface specific items meeting a lasting-impact threshold. The district brief came back empty on this front, so rather than guess, we note the gap.
What Chee Dodge offers is a small, community-rooted elementary school serving a predominantly Native American student population in a rural area that has been growing but remains economically limited. Its academic results are strongest in literacy and weaker in math and science, with no multi-year trend available to judge direction. Families drawn to a small school where their child is known, and who value proximity to home over a broad range of specialized programs, may find a fit here. Those seeking detailed information about special education services, English learner support, or enrichment offerings should reach out to the school directly, as that data was not available in the sources we reviewed.
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