schoolsbycounty

Sierra County Schools & Education

School Score

48/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

87.0%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

87.0%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 79.0%

Per-Pupil Spending

$7,909

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,957

School Score

48/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 33/100

State Score Position

#7

of 33 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Sierra County

Measured School Summary

Sierra County performs at an average level with a school score of 48/100 and a solid graduation rate of 87.0%.

Funding Context

At $7,909 per pupil, Sierra County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 44% above the New Mexico average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 8.0 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 1% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Sierra 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

5 public schools and 1 district 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

48/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #7 of 33 New Mexico counties with school score data.

Completion

87.0%

8.0 pts above the state average

Funding context

$7,909

roughly matches the state average

School coverage

5

1 district represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Sierra County has 5 public schools across 1 district, 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.

Parent decision brief

What Sierra 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.

Small-system county

Sierra County has a compact public-school footprint. A single school change, boundary rule, or district update can move the lived experience more than the county score suggests.

State position

#7

of 33 New Mexico counties with school score data. The county score is 15 points above 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.

T OR C MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS

Elementary to high school visible

1,287 students

Elementary 3Middle 1High 1Other 0

5 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

T OR C MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS is the largest listed district slice, with 5 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 Sierra County?

Which attendance zones, transfer rules, and transportation policies apply inside the local district?

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

Sierra County graduation rates align with national benchmarks

Education data brief for Sierra County, New Mexico.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor
Lead metric:Graduation rate

Sierra County’s public education system is distinguished by a graduation rate of 87.0%, matching the national average and exceeding the New Mexico state average of 79.0%. All five public schools in the county are consolidated under a single district, T or C Municipal Schools, which serves a total enrollment of 1,287 students. The average school size is 257 students, with T or C Elementary being the largest campus. The county’s composite school score is 47.5, which is higher than the state average of 33.4 and near the national median of 50.0. Regarding school funding, per-pupil expenditure is $7,909, which is consistent with the state average of $7,957 but lower than the national average of $13,000. The directory reflects a mix of town and rural locales with no charter presence. This report is based on verified public records from federal agencies. See the NCES Common Core of Data for school-level records.

Sources

School Overview

Total Schools

5

in Sierra County

Reported Enrollment

1,287

5 schools reporting

School Districts

1

district

Charter Schools

0

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary3
Middle1
High1
Other0

1 School District in Sierra County

T OR C MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS

5 schools
1,287 students enrolled

5 Public Schools in Sierra County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Every NCES public school remains listed here; no school-level profile pages are included in the current generated coverage for this county.

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

Level

Showing 5 of 5 matching schools

T OR C ELEMENTARY

T OR C MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS

T OR C, 87901 / Town: Remote

RecordPK–3Primary389 students

HOT SPRINGS HIGH

T OR C MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS

T OR C, 87901 / Town: Remote

Record9–12High361 students

T OR C MIDDLE

T OR C MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS

T OR C, 87901 / Town: Remote

Record6–8Middle283 students

SIERRA ELEMENTARY

T OR C MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS

T OR C, 87901 / Town: Remote

Record4–5Primary144 students

ARREY ELEMENTARY

T OR C MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS

ARREY, 87930 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–5Primary110 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$7,909

State avg $7,957

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Sierra 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.

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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 Sierra County?
Sierra County has a school score of 48/100, which is a midrange 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 Sierra County?
The high school graduation rate in Sierra County is 87.0%, 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 Sierra County spend per student?
Sierra County spends $7,909 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

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Reviewed 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.