Total enrollment
10,504
-651 (-6%) vs SY 2020-21
Chaves County
New Mexico · Public K-12
From the largest high school to the smallest elementary school, Chaves County's 33 public schools collectively enroll about 10,504 K-12 students, with Roswell the heaviest district by enrollment. That works out to 18 elementary, 7 middle, and 8 high schools.
4-year change in Chaves County
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
32
0 (0%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How Chaves County ranks
Among counties| Measure | This county | In New Mexico | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 33.9% | #7 of 10 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 10,504 | #10 of 26 | #785 of 2,745 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 32 | #8 of 26 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 12.9:1 | #12 of 25 | #855 of 2,655 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 99.9% | #1 of 26 | #34 of 2,526 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 38.0% | #22 of 26 | #1,554 of 2,707 |
Counties need at least 3 schools and 1,000 students to be ranked. Test proficiency is ranked within the state only, since each state gives a different test. Each rank links to the full list.
Chaves County school rankings
Residents
64,217
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
33
6 districts
Enrollment
10,504
students · NCES CCD
Median income
$52,938
Below New Mexico avg
Free/reduced lunch
99.9%
Above New Mexico avg
Elementary
18
5,007 students
Middle
7
2,233 students
High
8
3,264 students
Combined / other
0
schools
LARGEST DISTRICT
ROSWELL
9,184 students · 6 districts in Chaves County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Chaves County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".
County residents
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
17.9%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
20.1%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
5.0%
civilian labor
Median age
37
24.6% under 18
Test scores in Chaves County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 21 schools ranked. New Mexico state average: 44.1%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- SIDNEY GUTIERREZ MIDDLE· 79.8%
- NANCY LOPEZ ELEMENTARY· 53.5%
- EL CAPITAN ELEMENTARY· 53.2%
- PECOS ELEMENTARY· 52.8%
- MILITARY HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY· 52.3%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- SUNSET ELEMENTARY· 20.2%
- WASHINGTON AVE ELEMENTARY· 28.1%
- DEXTER ELEMENTARY· 32.0%
- MESA MIDDLE· 33.8%
- SIERRA MIDDLE· 36.2%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROSWELL HIGH | Roswell | High | 09-12 | 1,437 | · |
| GODDARD HIGH | Roswell | High | 09-12 | 1,096 | · |
| BERRENDO MIDDLE | Roswell | Middle | 06-08 | 571 | · |
| SIERRA MIDDLE | Roswell | Middle | 06-08 | 557 | · |
| DEL NORTE ELEMENTARY | Roswell | Elementary | KG-05 | 518 | · |
| MOUNTAIN VIEW MIDDLE | Roswell | Middle | 06-08 | 481 | · |
| MILITARY HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY | Roswell | Elementary | PK-05 | 426 | · |
| VALLEY VIEW ELEMENTARY | Roswell | Elementary | PK-05 | 388 | · |
| EL CAPITAN ELEMENTARY | Roswell | Elementary | PK-05 | 380 | · |
| MONTERREY ELEMENTARY | Roswell | Elementary | KG-05 | 373 | · |
| MESA MIDDLE | Roswell | Middle | 06-08 | 350 | · |
| DEXTER ELEMENTARY | Dexter | Elementary | PK-05 | 330 | · |
| BERRENDO ELEMENTARY | Roswell | Elementary | PK-05 | 327 | · |
| MISSOURI AVE ELEMENTARY | Roswell | Elementary | PK-05 | 322 | · |
| PARKVIEW EARLY LITERACY CENTER | Roswell | Elementary | PK-PK | 282 | · |
| DEXTER HIGH | Dexter | High | 09-12 | 264 | · |
| WASHINGTON AVE ELEMENTARY | Roswell | Elementary | PK-05 | 263 | · |
| PECOS ELEMENTARY | Roswell | Elementary | PK-05 | 255 | · |
| SUNSET ELEMENTARY | Roswell | Elementary | PK-05 | 253 | · |
| HAGERMAN ELEMENTARY | Hagerman | Elementary | PK-05 | 217 | · |
| EAST GRAND PLAINS ELEMENTARY | Roswell | Elementary | PK-05 | 201 | · |
| SIDNEY GUTIERREZ MIDDLE | Roswell | Elementary | KG-08 | 196 | · |
| NANCY LOPEZ ELEMENTARY | Roswell | Elementary | PK-05 | 190 | · |
| DEXTER MIDDLE | Dexter | Middle | 06-08 | 178 | · |
| UNIVERSITY HIGH | Roswell | High | 09-12 | 167 | · |
| EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL | Roswell | High | 09-12 | 151 | · |
| HAGERMAN HIGH | Hagerman | High | 09-12 | 121 | · |
| HAGERMAN MIDDLE | Hagerman | Middle | 06-08 | 70 | · |
| LAKE ARTHUR ELEMENTARY | Lake Arthur | Elementary | PK-05 | 67 | · |
| LAKE ARTHUR HIGH | Lake Arthur | High | 09-12 | 28 | · |
| LAKE ARTHUR MIDDLE | Lake Arthur | Middle | 06-08 | 26 | · |
| PENASCO ELEMENTARY | Hope | Elementary | KG-08 | 19 | · |
| ROSWELL CORRECTIONS | Hagerman | High | 08-12 | 0 | · |
Cities in Chaves County
About Chaves County
In New Mexico, Chaves County is an average-sized county of about 64,217 residents. 33 public schools across the county serves about 10,504 students between them.
In context, census numbers show typical household earnings sit around $52,938, roughly 18% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate is around 20%. That income level is 8% meaningfully below the New Mexico median.
On the school-mix side, Chaves County is built around 18 elementary schools (5,007 students), 7 middle schools (2,233), and 8 high schools (3,264).
ROSWELL is the biggest district by enrollment, covering about 9,184 students across Chaves County.
Over the past 4-year window. Combined enrollment now sits at 10,504 students, shrank 6% from the 11,155 reported in SY 2020-21.
On this page, the community for Chaves County discusses comparison threads between local schools and program reviews. Discussions cut across districts, schools, and grade levels.
Frequently asked questions
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data