Enrollment
472
Elementary
DISTRICT 369 · STATE 287
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·HOBBS·NCES 350126000355
SOUTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY
101 EAST TEXAS, HOBBS, NM 88240 · (575) 433-1900 · Lea County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY33-TOWNTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL472 STUDENTS
C-
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 19% of New Mexico public elementary schools
- CTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- FBeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded New Mexico public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
14.9:1
32 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 15.5:1 · STATE 12.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
59%
280 students
DISTRICT 64% · STATE 90%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 103 | 22% |
| Kindergarten | 61 | 13% |
| Grade 1 | 68 | 14% |
| Grade 2 | 61 | 13% |
| Grade 3 | 63 | 13% |
| Grade 4 | 54 | 11% |
| Grade 5 | 62 | 13% |
This year's kindergarten class (61) is about the same size as its 5th grade class (62).
Student demographics
19%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 37% · STATE 55% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
NM-MSSA + NM-ASR 2024-25 . % ProficientEnglish Language Arts
32.9%
NM avg 44.2%
Math
24.6%
NM avg 27.2%
What this means: On the NM-MSSA + NM-ASR, New Mexico's statewide test, about 33 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 25 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all New Mexico schools, those numbers are about 44 and 27.
Source: NM-MSSA + NM-ASR. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
UNDERPERFORMING
Bottom 10% of NM schools after controlling for student poverty
Actual proficiency
27.8%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
43.2%
based on NM schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-15.4pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 28% of students here test proficient in math and reading, below the roughly 43% typical for New Mexico schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations compares each school with others at the same poverty level, not by raw scores, so a school lands here when its results trail those comparable schools, which is not the same as having low scores. A higher-scoring school can still fall in this tier if similar schools score higher still.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like SOUTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY
SOUTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY's state test result (27.8% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| SOUTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY this school | 472 | 59.3% | 27.8% |
| MILLS ELEMENTARY HOBBS | 411 | 58.6% | 46.3% |
| CHRISTINE DUNCAN HERITAGE ACADEMY ALBUQUERQUE | 534 | 71.0% | 25.5% |
| COLLEGE LANE ELEMENTARY HOBBS | 532 | 55.6% | 37.9% |
| TAYLOR ELEMENTARY HOBBS | 426 | 66.2% | 34.2% |
| JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY HOBBS | 316 | 68.7% | 28.4% |
Matched among New Mexico elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where SOUTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In New Mexico | In Lea County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 27.8% | #219 of 329 | #12 of 18 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 24.6% | #174 of 354 | #10 of 18 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 32.9% | #257 of 366 | #14 of 18 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 472 | #61 of 490 | #3 of 21 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 14.9:1 | #240 of 318 | #7 of 19 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 19.5% | #274 of 334 | #18 of 19 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 59.3% | #361 of 393 | #15 of 21 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +6.3% | #37 of 57 | #3 of 6 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
472
+103 (+28%) vs 2020
-16% since 1990-91, when it was 562
Student : Teacher
14.9:1
was 15.4:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 472 | 31.8 | 14.9:1 | 59% (280) |
| 2023-24 | 445 | 29.8 | 15.0:1 | 44% (198) |
| 2022-23 | 371 | 24.8 | 15.0:1 | 100% (371) |
| 2020-21 | 369 | 24 | 15.4:1 | 99% (366) |
| 2017-18 | 444 | 26.1 | 17.0:1 | 90% (401) |
| 2015-16 | 529 | 28 | 18.9:1 | 89% (471) |
| 2010-11 | 467 | 29 | 16.1:1 | 90% (422) |
| 2000-01 | 461 | 30 | 15.4:1 | 85% (390) |
| 1990-91 | 562 | 22 | 25.6:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for SOUTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY.
Since 2017-18: students up 6% (444 to 472); teachers up 22% (26.1 to 31.8).
About SOUTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY
Located in HOBBS, New Mexico, SOUTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY is a large elementary school. Students in pre-K through 5 attend, and enrollment is 472 students. The school's enrollment is 64% larger than the 287 average for elementary schools in New Mexico.
HOBBS includes 18 schools. Together they enroll 10,097 students.
Hispanic students are the large majority at SOUTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY, with 89% of enrollment. Other groups make up 10% White. County-wide, 63% of Lea County residents are Hispanic. SOUTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY has a diversity index of 19%, compared with 70% for all US public school students.
The school reported 31.8 full-time-equivalent teachers in 2024-25 and a ratio of 14.9:1. The 12.9:1 average for elementary schools in New Mexico is lower than this school's figure. Eligible students account for 59% of enrollment in the free or reduced-price lunch program. The 73% average for public schools in Lea County is 14 points higher.
SOUTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY is graded C- by allk12, scoring above 19% of New Mexico public elementary schools once test results, poverty-adjusted performance, and the recent trend are combined.
SOUTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY scores 15.4 points below its predicted average proficiency rate on state tests: 27.8% actual versus 43.2% predicted. That puts it in the bottom 10% of New Mexico schools on BeatsExpectations.
Among Lea County residents, median household income is about $68,015, roughly 16% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and about 15% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Federal data list 38 public schools in Lea County, with a combined enrollment of about 15,126.
The shortest distance from SOUTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY to another public school is about 0.5 miles, to HEIZER MIDDLE SCHOOL. A five-mile radius around the school includes at least 8 other public schools. By average proficiency, SOUTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY is 4th among 8 schools close by.
Its NCES locale code is Town: Remote: the school is in a town far from an urbanized area.
From 2020-21 to 2024-25, SOUTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY went from 369 students to 472.
Discussion on this page can cover sports tryouts, band and choir, and theater. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.
Lea County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
73,733
Census ACS
Median income
$68,015
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
16%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
15%
Below federal line
Schools in county
38
15,126 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in HOBBS
- HOBBS HIGHHigh · 2,312 students
- HOUSTON MIDDLE SCHOOLMiddle · 822 students
- HIGHLAND MIDDLE SCHOOLMiddle · 808 students
- HOBBS FRESHMAN HIGHHigh · 747 students
- HEIZER MIDDLE SCHOOLMiddle · 606 students
- COLLEGE LANE ELEMENTARYElementary · 532 students
Other schools in HOBBS
- HOBBS HIGHHigh · 2,312 students
- HOUSTON MIDDLE SCHOOLMiddle · 822 students
- HIGHLAND MIDDLE SCHOOLMiddle · 808 students
- HOBBS FRESHMAN HIGHHigh · 747 students
- HEIZER MIDDLE SCHOOLMiddle · 606 students
- COLLEGE LANE ELEMENTARYElementary · 532 students
Nearby schools
- HEIZER MIDDLE SCHOOL0.5 mi · 606
- EDISON ELEMENTARY0.5 mi · 225
- BOOKER T. WASHINGTON ELEMENTARY0.9 mi · 155
- HOUSTON MIDDLE SCHOOL1.0 mi · 822
- MURRAY ELEMENTARY1.2 mi · 422
- WILL ROGERS ELEMENTARY1.3 mi · 297
Frequently asked questions
About SOUTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARYHow large is SOUTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY?
SOUTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY enrolls approximately 472 students in grades PK-05.
What grades does SOUTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY serve?
SOUTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY serves grades PK-05.
What is the student-teacher ratio at SOUTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY?
The student-to-teacher ratio at SOUTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY is approximately 14.9:1 (32 FTE teachers).
How diverse is SOUTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY?
SOUTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY reports a student body of 10% White, 89% Hispanic, 1% Black, 0% Asian.
Who oversees SOUTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY?
SOUTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY is overseen by HOBBS in Lea County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.