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Central Schools
Central is a public school district in New Mexico, based in San Juan County (Shiprock). SchoolGrade grades 16 of its schools on actual versus projected test scores; every school below has its own page.
Central on the map
District boundary from the NCES EDGE composite school district file. Each marker is a graded school; click it for its grade and scores.
SchoolGrade summary for Central
14 of 16 schools in Central carry a SchoolGrade (2 have no school-level proficiency results in our source data). Grade distribution:
C: 3D: 6F: 5
Best schools in Central
Statewide rankings: all 155 high schools in New Mexico · all 143 middle schools in New Mexico · all 412 elementary schools in New Mexico
The ten highest SchoolGrades in the district. Grades reward actual test performance against the projection for each school's student context, so a B in a high-poverty school can outrank an A- elsewhere on impact.
- C Judy Nelson Elementary (Elementary school, meets expectations)
- C Kirtland Middle (Middle school, meets expectations)
- C Newcomb Elementary (Elementary school, exceeds expectations)
- D+ Eva B Stokely Elementary (Elementary school, exceeds expectations)
- D+ Kirtland Central High (High school, meets expectations)
- D Kirtland Elementary (Elementary school, doesn't meet expectations)
- D Ojo Amarillo Elementary (Elementary school, meets expectations)
- D Shiprock High (High school, meets expectations)
- D Newcomb High (High school, exceeds expectations)
- F Tse Bit Ai Middle (Middle school, doesn't meet expectations)
Every school in Central
High schools (3)
- D+ Kirtland Central High, Kirtland
- D Newcomb High, Newcomb
- D Shiprock High, Shiprock
Middle and junior high schools (3)
- C Kirtland Middle, Kirtland
- F Newcomb Middle, Newcomb
- F Tse Bit Ai Middle, Shiprock
Elementary and primary schools (8)
- D+ Eva B Stokely Elementary, Shiprock
- C Judy Nelson Elementary, Kirtland
- D Kirtland Elementary, Kirtland
- F Mesa Elementary, Shiprock
- F Naschitti Elementary, Sheep Springs
- C Newcomb Elementary, Newcomb
- F Nizhoni Elementary, Shiprock
- D Ojo Amarillo Elementary, Fruitland
Other schools and academies (2)
- Career Prep Alternative, Shiprock
- Dream Dine Charter School, Shiprock
Where Central schools are
Cities and towns served (5)
- Shiprock (7)
- Kirtland (4)
- Newcomb (3)
- Fruitland (1)
- Sheep Springs (1)
About this district
- State: Best schools in New Mexico
- County: San Juan County
- Type: regular local school district
- Setting: fringe rural (NCES locale of the district office)
- Enrollment: 4,702 students with 386 full-time-equivalent teachers and 815 total staff FTE (NCES CCD, 2023-24)
- NCES district ID: 3500390
- Grades are the 2025-26 SchoolGrade model: each school's actual proficiency against the level projected for its student context. How SchoolGrade works
Nearby school districts
- Farmington (20 schools, 27 mi)
- Bloomfield (7 schools, 45 mi)
- Aztec (7 schools, 57 mi)
- Gallup (30 schools, 64 mi)
- Dulce (3 schools, 85 mi)
- Jemez Mtn (4 schools, 93 mi)
- Cuba (3 schools, 95 mi)
- Zuni (4 schools, 99 mi)
Questions about Central
How many schools are in Central?
SchoolGrade grades 16 public schools in Central, across 5 cities and towns. Every one of them is listed on this page with a link to its own report.
Which cities does Central serve?
The largest by graded schools: Shiprock, Kirtland, Newcomb, Fruitland, Sheep Springs.
How good are the schools in Central?
Across the 14 graded schools, the average SchoolGrade is D, with 19% of tested students meeting the state bar against a projected 19.2%. 57% of schools meet or exceed the expectation for their student context.
How many students attend Central?
4,702 students were enrolled in Central in the 2023-24 school year, about 12.2 students per full-time teacher (NCES Common Core of Data).
Where is Central?
Central is in New Mexico, based in San Juan County, with its district office in Shiprock. Its boundary covers about 2,808 sq mi.