The Best Private Schools in Silver City, New Mexico
Discover 3 exceptional private schools in Silver City. Find the perfect educational environment for your child with our comprehensive reviews and ratings.
School Overview
Top-Rated Private Schools
St. Mary's Catholic School
Diocese of Las Cruces Catholic Schools
St. Mary's Catholic School is Silver City's premier private educational institution, serving students from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade. With over six decades of educational excellence, the school offers a comprehensive Catholic education integrated with strong academic foundations. The curriculum emphasizes core subjects while incorporating technology, STEM education, and fine arts. Small class sizes ensure personalized attention, and the school maintains strong community partnerships. Facilities include modern classrooms, a dedicated computer lab, library, and playground areas. The school is known for its family-oriented atmosphere and commitment to developing well-rounded students with strong moral character.
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Las Cruces Catholic School
Diocese of Las Cruces Catholic Schools
Located approximately 90 minutes from Silver City, Las Cruces Catholic School serves as a regional private education option for families seeking comprehensive Pre-K through 12th grade education. The school offers a rigorous college preparatory curriculum with Advanced Placement courses, comprehensive athletic programs, and extensive extracurricular activities. With small class sizes and dedicated faculty, the school maintains high academic standards while fostering spiritual development. The campus features modern facilities including science laboratories, technology centers, athletic fields, and performing arts spaces. Many families from Silver City choose this option for its complete K-12 pathway and strong college acceptance record.
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Laurel Springs School
Laurel Springs School
Laurel Springs School provides a highly-rated online private education option that serves students throughout New Mexico, including Silver City. As an accredited private online school with 30 years of experience, it offers personalized learning plans, college preparatory curriculum, and Advanced Placement courses. The school is particularly popular with families in rural areas seeking high-quality private education without relocation. Students benefit from one-on-one teacher support, flexible scheduling, and a comprehensive curriculum that includes arts, STEM, and foreign languages. The program is especially strong for students pursuing specialized interests in arts, athletics, or advanced academics, with many graduates attending top universities nationwide.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about private schools in Silver City, New Mexico
What are the primary private school options available for K-12 students within Silver City, New Mexico, itself?
Within the city limits of Silver City, the primary established private school option is **St. Mary's Catholic School**, which serves students from Pre-K through 8th grade. For high school, families in Silver City often look to nearby communities, as there is no private high school within the city. **Laurel Springs School** is a nationally accredited, fully online private school used by some local families, but it is not a physical campus in Silver City. It's important to note that **Las Cruces Catholic School** is located over 100 miles away in Las Cruces, NM, and is not a practical daily commute from Silver City. Therefore, families seeking in-person private high school education typically consider boarding schools or relocating to larger cities.
How does the tuition for private schools in Silver City, NM, compare to the state average, and are there any state-specific financial aid programs?
Tuition at St. Mary's Catholic School in Silver City is generally below the national private school average and competitive for rural New Mexico. For the 2023-2024 school year, elementary grades were approximately $5,000-$6,000 annually. New Mexico offers specific financial aid opportunities that Silver City families can utilize. The most significant is the **New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship**, which can apply to private K-12 education through the **Education Assistance Program**. Additionally, the **Jonathon D. Croom Memorial Scholarship** provides needs-based assistance for students attending private schools. It's crucial to apply early and consult directly with the school's financial office about these and any local parish-based subsidies.
What unique academic or extracurricular programs do Silver City private schools offer that leverage the local environment and culture?
Private education in Silver City is deeply influenced by its rich local history and natural surroundings. St. Mary's Catholic School, for example, integrates **Southwestern and Native American history** into its social studies curriculum, reflecting the area's Gila Cliff Dwellings and mining heritage. While formal "outdoor education" programs may be limited due to school size, the school's location provides unique opportunities for geology, ecology, and astronomy projects tied to the **Gila National Forest** and dark night skies. The small class sizes allow for personalized learning that can incorporate local cultural arts, such as pottery and storytelling, in ways that larger districts may not.
What is the typical enrollment timeline and process for private schools in Silver City, and are there waitlists?
For St. Mary's Catholic School in Silver City, the enrollment process typically begins with a **priority re-registration period for existing families in January-February**. Open enrollment for new families usually starts in March. Given the limited number of private school seats in a town of Silver City's size (approx. 9,500 people), it is common for certain grade levels to have **waitlists**, especially in the early elementary grades. The process involves submitting an application, academic records, a pastoral reference (for Catholic families), and a family interview. Due to the lack of alternatives, it is highly recommended to initiate contact with the school administration a full year before desired entry.
For a family considering private versus public schools in Silver City, what are the key differentiating factors specific to this community?
The key differentiation in Silver City centers on **school size, religious education, and consistency**. The Silver City public schools (Silver Consolidated Schools) are larger and offer more diverse extracurriculars and AP courses at the high school level. However, St. Mary's private school offers a **small, close-knit community** with very low student-to-teacher ratios, a values-based education rooted in the Catholic faith, and a single-campus environment for Pre-K-8. For some families, the stability of a single private school is preferable to the transitions between multiple public elementary, middle, and high school campuses in town. The decision often hinges on whether a family prioritizes a specific religious environment and small-scale intimacy over the broader programmatic offerings of the public system.
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