NCES CCD 2024-25 79 schools TX

Best-Resourced Schools in Amarillo, TX

79 public K-12 schools in Amarillo from NCES Common Core of Data: enrollment, grade span, demographics, and Civil Rights Data Collection statistics for every active campus.

79
Schools
39,956
Students
44.7/100
Avg Resource Index
14.3:1
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

National city placement

Large, fragmented school market

According to NCES CCD 2024-25, Amarillo has more public-school enrollment than 97% of the 4,487 US cities in this directory. Amarillo is among the largest city school systems in this directory by enrollment, but its campuses are divided among 7 districts. That combination matters: citywide averages blend separate budgets, staffing policies, attendance boundaries, and program rules. For a family comparing schools here, the district column is as important as the city average; two nearby campuses may answer to different boards and draw on different F-33 funding pools.

Combined-grade campuses shape the local portfolio

46 of Amarillo's 79 listed schools use NCES's combined or “other” grade-level classification. Citywide averages therefore blend campuses serving unusually broad or nonstandard grade spans with conventional elementary, middle, and high schools. Grade configuration is a first-order comparison here, not a minor label.

Campus spread matters more than the city mean

The 49-point gap between Amtech Career Academy and Premier H S of Amarillo shows the range hidden by Amarillo's average Resource Investment Index. The city figure is useful for national placement, but families ultimately choose among campuses with different grade spans, enrollment, district affiliations, and reported support fields. Start with schools serving the relevant grade level, then compare the index components rather than assuming the city average describes any one classroom.

City enrollment
Top 3%
School count
Top 2%
Resource Index average
69th percentile
Teacher staffing
63rd percentile

Amarillo school enrollment varies 99× across entities

Amarillo school enrollment ranges from 22 students (lowest) to 2,176 students (highest), a spread of 2,154 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. Per-school staffing and program breadth can differ sharply at opposite ends of that enrollment range, so the city average should not be treated as a typical campus.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Amarillo reports 55.5% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share clears the 50% majority mark. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Amarillo operates 7 school districts — among the most fragmented governance structures in the country

Each school district has independent budgeting, hiring, and service delivery authority. The fragmentation reflects historical patterns of inter-municipal boundary lines that pre-date modern city growth, students in different parts of the same city can attend different districts with different per-pupil spending, calendars, and graduation requirements. Per-region variation is largest in fragmented systems because each school district sets its own budget, contracts, and priorities without higher-level coordination above the regulatory floor.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Amarillo student-teacher ratio is 14.3:1 — near the typical range (US average ~15.7) — citywide staffing is neither unusually lean nor unusually crowded by this measure

student-teacher ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE classroom teachers against total enrollment, push-in specialists, English-language aides, special-education co-teachers, and counselors are not included in most reporting Variation between sub-units within Amarillo is typically wider than the Amarillo-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, Public School Universe

# School Score
1. Amtech Career Academy 72
2. Youth Ctr of High Plains 69
3. Highland Park Middle 63
4. North Heights Alter 60
5. Woodlands El 59
6. Highland Park H S 57
7. Lorenzo De Zavala Middle 55
8. Puckett El 55
9. Pleasant Valley El 55
10. Hillside El 54
11. Belmar El 53
12. Park Hills El 53
13. Highland Park El 52
14. Willow Vista Eca 52
15. Landergin El 51
16. Sunrise El 51
17. Arden Road El 50
18. Gene Howe El 50
19. Lakeview El 49
20. Sundown Lane El 49
21. Wolflin El 49
22. Paramount Terrace El 49
23. Rolling Hills El 49
24. Crockett Middle 48
25. River Road Middle 48
26. Lamar El 48
27. Randall H S 47
28. Bonham Middle 47
29. Houston Middle 47
30. Heritage Hills El 47
31. Windsor El 47
32. River Road H S 47
33. Ridgecrest El 47
34. South Lawn El 46
35. Oak Dale El 46
36. Eastridge El 45
37. Western Plateau El 45
38. Mesa Verde El 45
39. George Washington Carver El Academy 45
40. Fannin Middle 44
41. Sleepy Hollow El 44
42. Glenwood El 44
43. Whittier El 44
44. Mann Middle 44
45. Johnny N Allen-6th Grade Campus 44
46. South Georgia El 43
47. Travis 6th Grade Campus 43
48. City View El 42
49. Wills El 42
50. Sanborn El 42

Showing top 50 of 79 schools.

Most racially and ethnically mixed schools in Amarillo

Ranked by the Simpson student-body diversity index (0-100) from NCES race and ethnicity data, where higher means a more evenly mixed student body. It measures mix, not quality.

  1. 1 Wills El 76.1/100
  2. 2 Mesa Verde El 74.4/100
  3. 3 Eastridge El 71.8/100
  4. 4 Houston Middle 70.3/100
  5. 5 George Washington Carver El Academy 69.1/100

What do families ask about schools in Amarillo?

Which Amarillo school has the highest Resource Investment Index?

Amtech Career Academy has the highest Resource Investment Index among the Amarillo schools in this federal-data comparison at 72/100. The index summarizes reported staffing, counseling, gifted-program, and attendance inputs; it is not an academic rating.

How many schools are in Amarillo, TX?

Amarillo has 79 public schools with a total enrollment of 39,956 students. 3 are charter schools. Average student-teacher ratio: 14.3:1.

Other Cities in Texas

Side-by-side: Compare any two schools or districts in Texas →

Data from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 and Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22. The Resource Investment Index uses reported student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance; it is not an academic rating. Cities must include at least five schools to be listed. This public-data comparison is for informational purposes: verify current enrollment, attendance boundaries, and programs with the school district before acting. See the guide to understanding NCES data.