DESERT SAGE ACADEMY

DESERT SAGE ACADEMY is a K-12 campus of micro-enrollment scale in SANTA FE, New Mexico, operated by SANTA FE, instructing 69 students in grades K through 12. Compared to the state average of about 498 students per school, that is 86% leaner than typical.

Across the 29 schools in SANTA FE (11,182 students total), DESERT SAGE ACADEMY accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Looking at the student body, DESERT SAGE ACADEMY logs that 86% of students identify as Hispanic, making the school strongly Hispanic-majority. The remainder looks like 9% Native American, 6% White. That is meaningfully more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 48%.

In terms of school funding signals, Staff filings list 14 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 5.0:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 11.3:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. About 100% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. Set against Santa Fe County (around 84%), the school's rate is meaningfully above typical.

Across the wider county, Santa Fe County reports that the typical household earns roughly $79,071 per year, roughly 46% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 9% of residents live below the federal poverty line. DESERT SAGE ACADEMY is one of 53 public schools in Santa Fe County (combined enrollment of about 20,719 students).

RAMIREZ THOMAS ELEMENTARY is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.8 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around DESERT SAGE ACADEMY.

The campus sits in a high-density setting. As a virtual school, attendance and instruction happen remotely rather than in person.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count rose 60%: 43 students in 2018 compared to 69 in 2025. The Hispanic share of enrollment shrank from 91% to 86% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 20.5:1 in 2018 to 5.0:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, members of the DESERT SAGE ACADEMY community share and discuss sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.