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Chaves County

New Mexico · Public K-12

From the largest high school to the smallest elementary campus, 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.

7-year change in Chaves County

SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25
Total enrollment
10,504
-1,416 (-12%) vs SY 2017-18
School count
32
0 (0%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
21%
was 25%
% Hispanic
76%
was 72%
% Black
2%
was 2%
% Asian
1%
was 1%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Schools
33
6 districts
Enrollment
10,504
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
White
54%
Hispanic
58%
Black
2%
Asian
2%
Two or more
26%
Native American
2%
Pacific Islander
0%
School enrollment
White
21%
Hispanic
76%
Black
2%
Asian
0%
Two or more
n/r
Native American
0%
Pacific Islander
0%
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%.

Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
  1. SUNSET ELEMENTARY· 20.2%
  2. WASHINGTON AVE ELEMENTARY· 28.1%
  3. DEXTER ELEMENTARY· 32.0%
  4. MESA MIDDLE· 33.8%
  5. SIERRA MIDDLE· 36.2%

See all 21 schools in Chaves County ranked by score →

All schools (33)

LargestA-ZTop rated
NameCityLevelGradesEnrollmentRating
ROSWELL HIGHRoswellHigh09-121,437·
GODDARD HIGHRoswellHigh09-121,096·
BERRENDO MIDDLERoswellMiddle06-08571·
SIERRA MIDDLERoswellMiddle06-08557·
DEL NORTE ELEMENTARYRoswellElementaryKG-05518·
MOUNTAIN VIEW MIDDLERoswellMiddle06-08481·
MILITARY HEIGHTS ELEMENTARYRoswellElementaryPK-05426·
VALLEY VIEW ELEMENTARYRoswellElementaryPK-05388·
EL CAPITAN ELEMENTARYRoswellElementaryPK-05380·
MONTERREY ELEMENTARYRoswellElementaryKG-05373·
MESA MIDDLERoswellMiddle06-08350·
DEXTER ELEMENTARYDexterElementaryPK-05330·
BERRENDO ELEMENTARYRoswellElementaryPK-05327·
MISSOURI AVE ELEMENTARYRoswellElementaryPK-05322·
PARKVIEW EARLY LITERACY CENTERRoswellElementaryPK-PK282·
DEXTER HIGHDexterHigh09-12264·
WASHINGTON AVE ELEMENTARYRoswellElementaryPK-05263·
PECOS ELEMENTARYRoswellElementaryPK-05255·
SUNSET ELEMENTARYRoswellElementaryPK-05253·
HAGERMAN ELEMENTARYHagermanElementaryPK-05217·
EAST GRAND PLAINS ELEMENTARYRoswellElementaryPK-05201·
SIDNEY GUTIERREZ MIDDLERoswellElementaryKG-08196·
NANCY LOPEZ ELEMENTARYRoswellElementaryPK-05190·
DEXTER MIDDLEDexterMiddle06-08178·
UNIVERSITY HIGHRoswellHigh09-12167·
EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOLRoswellHigh09-12151·
HAGERMAN HIGHHagermanHigh09-12121·
HAGERMAN MIDDLEHagermanMiddle06-0870·
LAKE ARTHUR ELEMENTARYLake ArthurElementaryPK-0567·
LAKE ARTHUR HIGHLake ArthurHigh09-1228·
LAKE ARTHUR MIDDLELake ArthurMiddle06-0826·
PENASCO ELEMENTARYHopeElementaryKG-0819·
ROSWELL CORRECTIONSHagermanHigh08-120·

Cities in Chaves County

Roswell22 schoolsHagerman4 schoolsDexter3 schoolsLake Arthur3 schoolsHope1 school

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 7-year window. Combined enrollment now sits at 10,504 students, shrank 12% from the 11,920 reported in SY 2017-18. On the demographic side, White enrollment moved from 25% to 21% over the same window.

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

How many public schools are in Chaves County?
Chaves County, New Mexico has 33 public K-12 schools serving approximately 10,504 students.
How many high schools are in Chaves County?
Chaves County, New Mexico has 8 public high schools, serving approximately 3,264 students.
How many middle schools are in Chaves County?
Chaves County, New Mexico has 7 public middle schools, serving approximately 2,233 students.
How many elementary schools are in Chaves County?
Chaves County, New Mexico has 18 public elementary schools, serving approximately 5,007 students.
What is the largest school district in Chaves County?
ROSWELL is the largest school district in Chaves County, serving approximately 9,184 students. The county contains 6 school districts overall.
What is the population of Chaves County?
Chaves County, New Mexico has a population of approximately 64,217, with a median age of 37. About 24.6% of residents are under 18.
What is the median household income in Chaves County?
Median household income in Chaves County is $52,938, below the New Mexico average of $57,493. About 20.1% of residents live below the federal poverty line.
How educated are residents of Chaves County?
Approximately 17.9% of adults 25 and older in Chaves County hold a bachelor's degree or higher, according to the Census ACS 5-year estimate.
What share of students in Chaves County qualify for free or reduced lunch?
Roughly 99.9% of students in Chaves County public schools qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a common proxy for low-income enrollment. This is higher than the New Mexico county average of 87.4%.
What is the student-teacher ratio in Chaves County schools?
Across Chaves County public schools, the enrollment-weighted student-teacher ratio is approximately 13.9 to 1.

Chaves County school rankings

Largest schoolsAll rankings →
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data