DESERT TRAIL ELEMENTARY

DESERT TRAIL ELEMENTARY operates as a large elementary campus in CHAPARRAL, New Mexico, one of the schools within GADSDEN. Current enrollment sits at 479 students spanning grades pre-K through 6. Enrollment runs roughly 67% above the state mean of about 287.

Across the 26 schools in GADSDEN (11,739 students total), DESERT TRAIL ELEMENTARY accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

For racial and ethnic makeup, DESERT TRAIL ELEMENTARY reports that 95% of students identify as Hispanic, making the school strongly Hispanic-majority. The remainder breaks down as 3% White. By comparison, Doñan Ana County as a whole is about 68% Hispanic, so the school skews considerably more Hispanic than its surroundings.

Looking at school resources, On paper, DESERT TRAIL ELEMENTARY has 33 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 14.4:1. That figure is higher than the state norm's 12.9:1 average. About 100% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), DESERT TRAIL ELEMENTARY tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 33.4% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 40.2%.

In the surrounding community, Doñan Ana County reports that the typical household earns roughly $56,848 per year, about 32% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 19% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Doñan Ana County's 81 public schools (combined enrollment of about 36,561 students), DESERT TRAIL ELEMENTARY is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is CHAPARRAL ELEMENTARY, roughly 0.1 miles away. Within five miles, there are 6 other public schools. Among the 7 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), DESERT TRAIL ELEMENTARY ranks 3rd on composite proficiency, above the local average of 33.2%.

The campus sits in a small-town setting.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count contracted 12%: 543 students in 2018 compared to 479 in 2025. The student-to-teacher ratio grew from 11.6:1 in 2018 to 14.4:1 today.

Within the allk12 community for this school, the feed for DESERT TRAIL ELEMENTARY typically covers sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.