PENASCO HIGH

As an one-room-style high school in PENASCO, New Mexico, PENASCO HIGH hosts 75 students from grades 9 through 12, run under PENASCO. That puts it 83% below the typical public school in New Mexico, which averages around 450 students.

PENASCO comprises 3 schools with combined enrollment of 276 students; PENASCO HIGH is among them.

On demographics, PENASCO HIGH lists that the student body is overwhelmingly Hispanic (81%); the rest looks like 15% Native American, 4% White. That is meaningfully more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 51%.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Staff filings list 6 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 12.7:1 students per teacher. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 22.9:1 average. An estimated 100% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. That share is above Taos County's rate of about 89%.

In the surrounding community, ACS estimates for Taos County put median household income runs about $58,950, 39% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 12%. In all, Taos County runs 23 public schools (combined enrollment of about 3,727 students), of which PENASCO HIGH is one.

Nearest neighbor: PENASCO MIDDLE, around 0.0 miles off. 2 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

Geographically, the school is in a countryside area.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at PENASCO HIGH has declined 23%, going from 98 students in 2018 to 75 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share fell from 15% to 4%. Class-load math has widened: from 9.5:1 in 2018 to 12.7:1 in 2025.

On allk12, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Members of the school community can share what they know.