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Private schools, in some form, existed long before the concept of free public education in America. Students were often educated through church-sponsored programs, private tutoring, and boarding schools. Public schools on a large scale were proposed by Horace Mann in the 1830s. The concept gained momentum, and by 1870, nearly 80% of kids aged 5 to 14 were enrolled in public schools. Today, according to the most recent enrollment data, about 4.7 million students—or 10% of students enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12—are enrolled in private schools.
Private schools are widely marketed as a better option when compared to public schools, and private school proponents will often point to standardized test scores to substantiate this claim. While private school students have consistently outperformed public school students on standardized tests, recent studies have shown private schools themselves are not the primary driver of success, nor are standardized tests the most accurate measure of student well-being.
Researchers have found that student success is more directly related to family attributes, like having parents who graduated from college, and higher incomes—more common amongst private school students than public school students—than simply whether the students attended a public or private school.
Still, private schools provide unique advantages and opportunities like smaller class sizes, more individualized instruction, and greater curricular flexibility. To better understand how private school offerings vary across the country, Stacker compiled a list of the best private high schools in New Mexico using 2023 rankings from Niche. Niche uses eight weighted factors for its rankings. A majority of the score is based on academics and grades, but other factors include culture and diversity, health and safety, clubs and activities, resources, and surveys of parents, teachers and students.
The two Alamogordo Schools to make the list were Legacy Christian Academy and Imago Del Academy. The second one is certainly an honor and a well qualified institution to be on the list.
However the Legacy Christian Academy selection is suspect. Trevor Lavalais, principal and director of Legacy Christian Academy, a private school in Alamogordo, was arrested on Feb. 11 on six counts relating to sexual assault involving a minor.
During a hearing in April it was further disclosed that Lavalais, who was serving as Acting Principal at Legacy Christian Academy in Alamogordo at the time of the alleged crimes, was charged on 28 counts of crimes against children.
The complete list compiled is below. When reviewing a school dig deep to ensure one is getting the complete story not just an academic overview of student success.
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#25. Calvary Christian Academy
- District: Silver City
- Enrollment: 66 (5:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+
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#24. Calvary Chapel Academy
- District: Belen
- Enrollment: 130 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+
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#23. Calvary West Christian High School
- District: Anthony
- Enrollment: 24 (3:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+
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#22. Gallup Christian School
- District: Gallup
- Enrollment: 52 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-
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#21. Legacy Christian Academy
- District: Alamogordo
- Enrollment: 83 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-
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#20. Sandia View Academy
- District: Corrales
- Enrollment: 33 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-
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#19. Clovis Christian School
- District: Clovis
- Enrollment: 245 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
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#18. Las Cruces Catholic School
- City: Las Cruces
- Enrollment: 285 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
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#17. Oak Grove Classical Academy
- City: Albuquerque
- Enrollment: 421 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B-
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#16. Gospel Light Baptist Academy
- District: Rio Rancho
- Enrollment: 208 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B-
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#15. Evangel Christian Academy
- City: Albuquerque
- Enrollment: 219 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B-
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#14. Rehoboth Christian School
- District: Rehoboth
- Enrollment: 427 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B
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#13. Gateway Christian School
- District: Roswell
- Enrollment: 290 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+
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#12. Hope Christian School
- City: Albuquerque
- Enrollment: 1,387 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-
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#11. Mesilla Valley Christian School
- City: Las Cruces
- Enrollment: 392 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-
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#10. Imago Dei Academy
- District: Alamogordo
- Enrollment: 164 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-
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#9. Santa Fe Waldorf School
- City: Santa Fe
- Enrollment: 215 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
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#8. St. Michael's High School
- City: Santa Fe
- Enrollment: 500 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
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#7. St. Pius X High School
- City: Albuquerque
- Enrollment: 515 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
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#6. Bosque School
- City: Albuquerque
- Enrollment: 411 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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#5. Menaul School
- City: Albuquerque
- Enrollment: 196 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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#4. Sandia Preparatory School
- City: Albuquerque
- Enrollment: 514 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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#3. Santa Fe Preparatory School
- City: Santa Fe
- Enrollment: 340 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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#2. United World College USA
- District: Montezuma
- Enrollment: 235 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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#1. Albuquerque Academy
- City: Albuquerque
- Enrollment: 1,183 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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