State Report Card Shows Mountainair Public Schools Losing Ground Year Over Year
Mountainair Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Pedro Vallejo recently shared the district's 2024-2025 report card with the Mountainair Dispatch, released by the New Mexico Public Education Department through its NM Vistas accountability system. The report card follows a 2023-2024 cycle in which the district posted some of its strongest growth numbers in recent memory. Those 2023-2024 numbers make this year's declines all the more notable.
The district's proficiency rates fell across all three tested subjects. Math proficiency dropped from 24 percent to 20 percent, reading slipped from 36 percent to 34 percent, and science saw the steepest decline, falling from 36 percent to 23 percent. All three figures trail the state averages of 25 percent (math), 43 percent (reading), and 35 percent (science), respectively, though it is worth noting that New Mexico's statewide benchmarks remain among the lowest in the nation.
The graduation rate also declined significantly, from 88 percent last year to 76 percent this year, now falling below the state average of 78 percent. Graduation growth remains negative at -1.6 percent, though that represents a slight improvement over last year's -2.1 percent.
Last year's report card told a more encouraging story about student growth, with math growth at the 63rd percentile and reading growth at the 66th percentile, both well above the state medians. This year, those figures fell to the 51st and 55th percentiles, respectively. The district still outpaces the state in both categories (50th in math, 49th in reading), but the gap has narrowed considerably.
Regular attendance was one of the few areas of improvement, rising from 73 percent to 76 percent district-wide — above the state average of 71 percent. Mountainair Junior High led the district at 88 percent, followed by the elementary school at 84 percent. The high school, however, posted a regular attendance rate of just 56 percent, down from 67 percent last year.
At the school level, Mountainair High School retained its Spotlight designation — the state's highest recognition, reserved for schools in the top 25 percent — despite declines in attendance and graduation rates. The elementary school dropped from Spotlight to Traditional, meaning it remains in good standing. The junior high maintained a Traditional designation.
Mountainair Public Schools: Year-Over-Year Comparison
| Metric | 2023-2024 | 2024-2025 | State Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math Proficiency | 24% | 20% | 25% |
| Reading Proficiency | 36% | 34% | 43% |
| Science Proficiency | 36% | 23% | 35% |
| Graduation Rate | 88% | 76% | 78% |
| Graduation Growth | -2.1% | -1.6% | 0.9% |
| Math Growth | 63rd | 51st | 50th |
| Reading Growth | 66th | 55th | 49th |
| Regular Attendance | 73% | 76% | 71% |
| CCR | 86% | ≥80% | 89% |
The full 2024-2025 report card is embedded below.
For more details on how these metrics are calculated, visit nmvistas.org.
The Mountainair Dispatch will publish a broader comparison of report cards across Torrance County school districts in the coming weeks.