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A+

Des Moines Municipal Schools

Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 3 towns

Serves Des Moines, Folsom and Grenville.

Des Moines’ Schools page →

Students
132
Schools
2
Spent per student
$27,679
NM $17,681
Students per teacher
8:1
Free or reduced lunch
42%
Debt
$2.4M
fiscal 2024
The gist

What stands out about Des Moines Municipal Schools

  • Its letter, A+: results better than 97% of New Mexico districts
  • Math proficiency 40 pts above the state
  • Reading proficiency 31 pts above the state
  • Spends 57% more per student than the NM average
  • 8 students per teacher
  • Enrollment up 43.5% since 2020–21
  • Debt of $2.4M, about $17,818 per student
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

A+: better than 97% of the 139 New Mexico school districts we grade. Each town’s School Grade weighs its districts by the students they test; spending and class size are shown but don’t count.

Test scoresReading and math well above the state, 2021–22
A+
The towns it serves, and their School Grades
Des Moines 105Folsom 46Grenville 24

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Des Moines. Grade by grade →

PK–6Des Moines ElementaryThis district
7–12Des Moines HighThis district

Test scores vs. NM

2021–22 · class of 2020
Math proficiency60–69%
State average 24.5% · 42 students tested
Reading / language arts60–69%
State average 33.8% · 42 students tested
Graduation rate (4-year)50–100%
State average 77.2% · 10 in the class · small group: the state reports a range

95% of students in the tested grades sat the 2022 tests.

Reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute); the newest year for each measure.

Where the money goes

fiscal 2024
$27,679 per student · 57% above NM
Spending
Classroom instruction 57%Support & administration 39%Other 4%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 15%State 80%Federal 5%

Fiscal 2022–24 includes federal pandemic relief (ESSER).

U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.

Enrollment over time
92’20
97’21
120’22
137’23
132’24

Up 43.5% since 2020–21.

Students
White 67%Hispanic 30%Black 3%

Schools in the district

2 public schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with New Mexico’s other public schools.

Des Moines Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–6 · Des Moines
A
82 students9:1
Des Moines High
High · Grades 7–12 · Des Moines
A
50 students7:1

District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES school directory 2024–25 and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau’s school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: state results reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute). The letters are our own summary, graded within New Mexico.