Can I use Otero County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Otero County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Otero County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Otero County?

Start with the 25 listed public schools and 4 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Otero County Schools & Education

Name: Otero County, New Mexico Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Otero County, New Mexico

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

19/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

80.9%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

80.9%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 79.0%

Per-Pupil Spending

$6,492

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,957

School Score

19/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 33/100

State Score Position

#29

of 33 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Otero County

Measured School Summary

Otero County faces educational challenges with a school score of 19/100 and a graduation rate of 80.9%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $6,492 per pupil, Otero County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 43% below the New Mexico average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 1.9 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 18% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Otero County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

25 public schools and 4 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

19/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #29 of 33 New Mexico counties with school score data.

Completion

80.9%

1.9 pts above the state average

Funding context

$6,492

$1,465 below the state average

School coverage

4 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Otero County has 25 public schools across 4 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Otero County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Dominant-district county

ALAMOGORDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS carries most of the listed public-school system, with 15 of 25 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#29

of 33 New Mexico counties with school score data. The county score is 14 points below the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

ALAMOGORDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Elementary to high school visible

5,575 students

Elementary 9Middle 3High 2Other 1

15 listed schools in this county slice.

TULAROSA MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS

Elementary to high school visible

890 students

Elementary 2Middle 1High 1Other 0

4 listed schools in this county slice.

CLOUDCROFT MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS

Elementary to high school visible

379 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 1Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

NM SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED

Other grade structure

36 students

Elementary 0Middle 0High 0Other 1

1 listed school in this county slice.

District reality check

ALAMOGORDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS is the largest listed district slice, with 15 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Otero County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Otero County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Data Story

Otero County Reports Exceptionally Low Per-Pupil Spending Levels

Education data brief for Otero County, New Mexico.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Lead metric:Per-pupil spending

The most distinctive data point for Otero County is its per-pupil expenditure of $6,492, which is nearly 19% lower than the New Mexico average of $7,957 and roughly half of the $13,000 national average. Despite this funding level, the county's graduation rate of 80.9% is higher than the state average of 79.0%, though it remains below the national average of 87.0%. The county's school score is 18.8, falling below the state average of 33.4 and the national median of 50.0. The educational landscape consists of four districts and 25 public schools, with Alamogordo Public Schools being the largest, serving 5,575 students. Alamogordo High is the most populous school with 1,579 students. The county lacks charter schools but includes two alternative schools and one special education facility. Eighteen schools are located in town settings, with seven in rural areas. Refer to the U.S. Census Bureau ACS for additional data on regional economic context.

Sources

NCES Common Core of Data
U.S. Census Bureau ACS

School Overview

Total Schools

in Otero County

Reported Enrollment

7,353

25 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary13

Middle5

High5

Other2

4 School Districts in Otero County

ALAMOGORDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

TULAROSA MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS

4 schools

890 students

CLOUDCROFT MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS

3 schools

379 students

NM SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED

2 schools

36 students

25 Public Schools in Otero County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 1 high-enrollment school; every NCES public school remains listed here.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

Sort

Showing 20 of 25 matching schools

Public schools in Otero County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
ALAMOGORDO HIGH	Profile	ALAMOGORDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS	ALAMOGORDO, 88310Town: Remote	9–12	High	1,579
CHAPARRAL MIDDLE	Record	ALAMOGORDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS	ALAMOGORDO, 88310Town: Remote	6–8	Middle	627
MOUNTAIN VIEW MIDDLE	Record	ALAMOGORDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS	ALAMOGORDO, 88310Town: Remote	6–8	Middle	502
HOLLOMAN ELEMENTARY	Record	ALAMOGORDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS	HOLLOMAN AFB, 88330Town: Remote	PK–5	Primary	490
YUCCA HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY	Record	GADSDEN INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS	CHAPARRAL, 88081Rural: Fringe	KG–6	Primary	473
SUNSET HILLS ELEMENTARY	Record	ALAMOGORDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS	ALAMOGORDO, 88310Town: Remote	KG–5	Primary	466
DESERT STAR ELEMENTARY	Record	ALAMOGORDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS	ALAMOGORDO, 88310Town: Remote	KG–5	Primary	464
SIERRA ELEMENTARY	Record	ALAMOGORDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS	ALAMOGORDO, 88310Town: Remote	KG–5	Primary	301
TULAROSA HIGH	Record	TULAROSA MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS	TULAROSA, 88352Town: Remote	9–12	High	272
TULAROSA INTERMEDIATE	Record	TULAROSA MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS	TULAROSA, 88352Town: Remote	3–6	Primary	268
YUCCA ELEMENTARY	Record	ALAMOGORDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS	ALAMOGORDO, 88310Town: Remote	PK–5	Primary	245
LA LUZ ELEMENTARY	Record	ALAMOGORDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS	LA LUZ, 88337Rural: Fringe	KG–5	Primary	215
TULAROSA ELEMENTARY	Record	TULAROSA MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS	TULAROSA, 88352Town: Remote	PK–2	Primary	206
BUENA VISTA ELEMENTARY	Record	ALAMOGORDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS	ALAMOGORDO, 88310Town: Remote	KG–5	Primary	204
NORTH ELEMENTARY	Record	ALAMOGORDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS	ALAMOGORDO, 88310Town: Remote	PK–5	Primary	182
HOLLOMAN MIDDLE	Record	ALAMOGORDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS	HOLLOMAN AFB, 88330Town: Remote	6–8	Middle	172
CLOUDCROFT ELEMENTARY	Record	CLOUDCROFT MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS	CLOUDCROFT, 88317Rural: Remote	PK–5	Primary	165
TULAROSA MIDDLE	Record	TULAROSA MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS	TULAROSA, 88352Town: Remote	7–8	Middle	144
CLOUDCROFT HIGH	Record	CLOUDCROFT MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS	CLOUDCROFT, 88317Rural: Remote	9–12	High	113
STEPPING STONES PRESCHOOL	Record	ALAMOGORDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS	ALAMOGORDO, 88310Town: Remote	PK	Other	109

ALAMOGORDO HIGH

ALAMOGORDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

ALAMOGORDO, 88310 / Town: Remote

Profile9–12High1,579 students

CHAPARRAL MIDDLE

ALAMOGORDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

ALAMOGORDO, 88310 / Town: Remote

Record6–8Middle627 students

MOUNTAIN VIEW MIDDLE

ALAMOGORDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

ALAMOGORDO, 88310 / Town: Remote

Record6–8Middle502 students

HOLLOMAN ELEMENTARY

ALAMOGORDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

HOLLOMAN AFB, 88330 / Town: Remote

RecordPK–5Primary490 students

YUCCA HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY

GADSDEN INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS

CHAPARRAL, 88081 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–6Primary473 students

SUNSET HILLS ELEMENTARY

ALAMOGORDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

ALAMOGORDO, 88310 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–5Primary466 students

DESERT STAR ELEMENTARY

ALAMOGORDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

ALAMOGORDO, 88310 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–5Primary464 students

SIERRA ELEMENTARY

ALAMOGORDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

ALAMOGORDO, 88310 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–5Primary301 students

TULAROSA HIGH

TULAROSA MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS

TULAROSA, 88352 / Town: Remote

Record9–12High272 students

TULAROSA INTERMEDIATE

TULAROSA MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS

TULAROSA, 88352 / Town: Remote

Record3–6Primary268 students

YUCCA ELEMENTARY

ALAMOGORDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

ALAMOGORDO, 88310 / Town: Remote

RecordPK–5Primary245 students

LA LUZ ELEMENTARY

ALAMOGORDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LA LUZ, 88337 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–5Primary215 students

TULAROSA ELEMENTARY

TULAROSA MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS

TULAROSA, 88352 / Town: Remote

RecordPK–2Primary206 students

BUENA VISTA ELEMENTARY

ALAMOGORDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

ALAMOGORDO, 88310 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–5Primary204 students

NORTH ELEMENTARY

ALAMOGORDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

ALAMOGORDO, 88310 / Town: Remote

RecordPK–5Primary182 students

HOLLOMAN MIDDLE

ALAMOGORDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

HOLLOMAN AFB, 88330 / Town: Remote

Record6–8Middle172 students

CLOUDCROFT ELEMENTARY

CLOUDCROFT MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS

CLOUDCROFT, 88317 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–5Primary165 students

TULAROSA MIDDLE

TULAROSA MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS

TULAROSA, 88352 / Town: Remote

Record7–8Middle144 students

CLOUDCROFT HIGH

CLOUDCROFT MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS

CLOUDCROFT, 88317 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12High113 students

STEPPING STONES PRESCHOOL

ALAMOGORDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

ALAMOGORDO, 88310 / Town: Remote

RecordPKOther109 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$6,492

State avg $7,957

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Otero County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which New Mexico counties have the highest graduation rates?

Los Alamos County (93.0%), De Baca County (90.0%), and Mora County (90.0%) currently lead New Mexico among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in New Mexico?

Across New Mexico counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $7,957. The highest current county values are Catron County ($13,747), Harding County ($13,463), and Guadalupe County ($10,823). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Otero County?

Otero County has a school score of 19/100, which is a lower measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Otero County?

The high school graduation rate in Otero County is 80.9%, which is below the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Otero County spend per student?

Otero County spends $6,492 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Chaves County

New Mexico

+1 pts

20/100

School score

San Miguel County

New Mexico

+2 pts

21/100

School score

Torrance County

New Mexico

+3 pts

22/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

Explore more data for Otero County

Property Tax Cost of Living Crime Rate Income Health Disaster Risk Water Quality Weather County Score