Total enrollment
3,127
-1,781 (-36%) vs SY 2017-18
Rio Arriba County
New Mexico · Public K-12
New Mexico's Rio Arriba County runs 30 public K-12 schools between its districts, the largest being Espanola at 1,668 students. That works out to 18 elementary, 6 middle, and 5 high schools.
7-year change in Rio Arriba County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
27
-2 (-7%) vs SY 2017-18
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Schools
30
8 districts
Enrollment
3,127
NCES CCD
Median income
$57,155
Below New Mexico avg
Free/reduced lunch
97.7%
Above New Mexico avg
Elementary
18
2,063 students
Middle
6
640 students
High
5
424 students
Combined / other
1
schools
LARGEST DISTRICT
ESPANOLA
1,668 students · 8 districts in Rio Arriba County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Rio Arriba 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+
19.0%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
14.5%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
4.9%
civilian labor
Median age
42
22.5% under 18
Test scores in Rio Arriba County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 15 schools ranked. New Mexico state average: 44.1%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- DIXON ELEMENTARY· 51.5%
- OJO CALIENTE ELEMENTARY· 49.1%
- CHIMAYO ELEMENTARY· 41.3%
- CARLOS F. VIGIL MIDDLE· 32.9%
- HERNANDEZ ELEMENTARY· 31.7%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- DULCE MIDDLE· 18.3%
- DULCE ELEMENTARY· 19.6%
- TIERRA AMARILLA ELEMENTARY· 20.9%
- JAMES RODRIGUEZ ELEMENTARY· 21.5%
- ABIQUIU ELEMENTARY· 22.7%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CARLOS F. VIGIL MIDDLE | Espanola | Middle | 07-08 | 379 | · |
| EUTIMIO SALAZAR ELEMENTARY | Espanola | Elementary | PK-06 | 339 | · |
| DULCE ELEMENTARY | Dulce | Elementary | PK-05 | 264 | · |
| JAMES RODRIGUEZ ELEMENTARY | Espanola | Elementary | 01-06 | 233 | · |
| DULCE HIGH | Dulce | High | 09-12 | 160 | · |
| ALCALDE ELEMENTARY | Espanola | Elementary | PK-06 | 151 | · |
| SAN JUAN ELEMENTARY | Ohkay Owingeh | Elementary | KG-06 | 141 | · |
| ESCALANTE MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL | Tierra Amarilla | High | 07-12 | 134 | · |
| DULCE MIDDLE | Dulce | Middle | 06-08 | 130 | · |
| CHIMAYO ELEMENTARY | Chimayo | Elementary | KG-06 | 112 | · |
| Ohkay Owingeh Community School | Ohkay Owingeh | Elementary | KG-06 | 105 | · |
| Kha'p'o Community School | Espanola | Elementary | KG-06 | 98 | · |
| MESA VISTA HIGH | Ojo Caliente | High | 09-12 | 93 | · |
| HERNANDEZ ELEMENTARY | Espanola | Elementary | KG-06 | 85 | · |
| TIERRA AMARILLA ELEMENTARY | Tierra Amarilla | Elementary | PK-06 | 76 | · |
| LOS NINOS ELEMENTARY | Espanola | Elementary | PK-KG | 71 | · |
| LYBROOK ELEMENTARY | Cuba | Elementary | PK-08 | 69 | · |
| ABIQUIU ELEMENTARY | Abiquiu | Elementary | KG-06 | 68 | · |
| EL RITO ELEMENTARY | El Rito | Elementary | PK-03 | 63 | · |
| OJO CALIENTE ELEMENTARY | Ojo Caliente | Middle | 04-06 | 55 | · |
| CHAMA ELEMENTARY | Chama | Elementary | PK-05 | 52 | · |
| MESA VISTA MIDDLE | Ojo Caliente | Middle | 07-08 | 51 | · |
| DIXON ELEMENTARY | Dixon | Elementary | KG-06 | 50 | · |
| GALLINA ELEMENTARY | Gallina | Elementary | PK-05 | 47 | · |
| VELARDE ELEMENTARY | Velarde | Elementary | KG-06 | 39 | · |
| CORONADO HIGH | Gallina | High | 09-12 | 37 | · |
| CORONADO MIDDLE | Gallina | Middle | 06-08 | 25 | · |
| CHAMA MIDDLE | Chama | Middle | 06-08 | · | · |
| ESPANOLA VALLEY HIGH | Espanola | High | 09-12 | · | · |
| LA TIERRA MONTESSORI SCHOOL OF THE ARTS AND SCIENCES | Ohkay Owingeh | Combined | M-M | · | · |
Cities in Rio Arriba County
About Rio Arriba County
Across the small New Mexico county of Rio Arriba County of about 40,070 residents, the public-school footprint covers 30 schools and about 3,127 students.
For perspective, census numbers show the median household earns about $57,155 a year, 19% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 15% of residents live below the federal poverty line.
On the level-by-level breakdown, Rio Arriba County spans 18 elementary schools (2,063 students), 6 middle schools (640), 5 high schools (424), and 1 combined or other schools.
The largest single district in Rio Arriba County is ESPANOLA, which alone enrolls about 1,668 students.
Five-year track record. Across the same 7-year window, public-school enrollment shrank 36%: 4,908 students in SY 2017-18 versus 3,127 in SY 2024-25. Over that span, Rio Arriba County closed 2 schools, going from 29 to 27.
In the discussion threads here, the community for Rio Arriba County discusses open enrollment windows, redistricting talk, and busing logistics. Parents, students, and educators in the area can post or comment.
Frequently asked questions
Rio Arriba County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data