Public schools in Waco, TX
Waco has 58 public schools with a 2024-25 address in the city: 19 high, 8 middle, 28 elementary, 3 other, enrolling 26,254 students. They are run by 17 districts and agencies; Waco ISD runs 23 of them.
NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: schools open that year with enrollment · method
The 17 districts and agencies that run Waco's public schools
Each district decides who can enroll where; its page holds its schools, spending and teachers.
| District | Schools in Waco | District students, fall 2022 | Spending per student, FY23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waco ISD | 23 | 13,824 | $14,294 |
| Midway ISD | 6 | 8,739 | $10,539 |
| La Vega ISD | 5 | 3,017 | $12,833 |
| Connally ISD | 4 | 2,332 | $12,913 |
| Rapoport Academy Public School | 3 | 859 | $15,028 |
| Bosqueville ISD | 3 | 720 | $13,200 |
| China Spring ISD | 2 | 3,010 | $10,399 |
| Gholson ISD | 2 | 263 | $11,536 |
| Axtell ISD | 2 | 836 | $14,472 |
| North Texas District | 1 | 10,249 | $11,259 |
| Hallsburg ISD | 1 | 146 | $13,027 |
| Premier High Schools | 1 | 7,117 | $10,443 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: school location city and operating agency; NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23: district fall membership and current spending per student. Schools on a city's edge can serve students from outside it.
19 high schools in Waco, 8,643 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midway High School | 2,687 | 16.2 | 23.9% | Midway ISD |
| Waco High School | 1,885 | 13.4 | 82.2% | Waco ISD |
| University High School | 1,752 | 14.2 | 83.0% | Waco ISD |
| La Vega High School | 881 | 13.7 | 85.8% | La Vega ISD |
| Connally High School | 614 | 11.0 | 71.5% | Connally ISD |
| Paul and Jane Meyer Public High School | 233 | 9.0 | 55.4% | Rapoport Academy Public School |
| Bosqueville High School | 227 | 11.9 | 24.7% | Bosqueville ISD |
| Premier H S of Waco | 128 | 20.2 | 82.0% | Premier High Schools |
| Methodist Children's Home | 96 | 8.8 | not reported | University of Texas University Charter School |
| Waco Ctr for Youth | 69 | 9.9 | 47.8% | Axtell ISD |
The other 9 high schools
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Challenge Academy | 52 | 13.4 | 86.5% | Waco ISD |
| Bill Logue Detention Center | 11 | 91.7 | 72.7% | Waco ISD |
| Challenge Academy | 2 | not reported | not reported | Robinson ISD |
| Challenge Academy | 1 | not reported | not reported | Axtell ISD |
| Challenge Academy | 1 | not reported | not reported | Connally ISD |
| Mclennan County Challenge Academy | 1 | not reported | All free (CEP) | Gholson ISD |
| Challenge Academy | 1 | not reported | not reported | Lorena ISD |
| Challenge Academy | 1 | not reported | not reported | Mcgregor ISD |
| Challenge Academy | 1 | not reported | not reported | Midway ISD |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
8 middle schools in Waco, 4,551 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennyson Middle | 963 | 15.6 | 80.5% | Waco ISD |
| Cesar Chavez Middle | 786 | 13.9 | 92.7% | Waco ISD |
| Indian Spring Middle | 723 | 13.0 | 94.7% | Waco ISD |
| La Vega Int H P Miles Campus | 695 | 16.6 | 91.2% | La Vega ISD |
| China Spring Intermediate | 491 | 15.8 | 28.5% | China Spring ISD |
| La Vega J H George Dixon Campus | 441 | 13.0 | 88.4% | La Vega ISD |
| Quinn Campus Public Middle | 269 | 12.0 | 65.8% | Rapoport Academy Public School |
| Bosqueville Middle | 183 | 12.3 | 33.3% | Bosqueville ISD |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
28 elementary schools in Waco, 12,696 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bell's Hill Elementary | 786 | 15.7 | 94.0% | Waco ISD |
| Lake Air Montessori School | 734 | 13.4 | 66.5% | Waco ISD |
| La Vega Elementary | 630 | 16.2 | 87.1% | La Vega ISD |
| Dean Highland Elementary | 617 | 17.2 | 93.4% | Waco ISD |
| China Spring Elementary | 613 | 14.2 | 31.3% | China Spring ISD |
| South Bosque Elementary | 578 | 16.7 | 11.2% | Midway ISD |
| Harmony Science Acad (Waco) | 569 | 14.4 | 84.7% | North Texas District |
| Woodway Elementary | 547 | 15.2 | 26.0% | Midway ISD |
| Chapel Park Elementary | 532 | 15.5 | 38.0% | Midway ISD |
| Parkdale Elementary | 497 | 13.8 | 91.5% | Waco ISD |
The other 18 elementary schools
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Waco Elementary | 490 | 18.1 | 96.7% | Waco ISD |
| Alta Vista Elementary | 479 | 14.5 | 88.1% | Waco ISD |
| Crestview Elementary | 464 | 15.5 | 93.1% | Waco ISD |
| Cedar Ridge Elementary | 446 | 15.5 | 93.9% | Waco ISD |
| Kendrick Elementary | 446 | 14.4 | 92.6% | Waco ISD |
| La Vega Pri Phil Bancale Campus | 444 | 17.2 | 95.3% | La Vega ISD |
| Hillcrest Pds Magnet | 431 | 14.8 | 61.9% | Waco ISD |
| Audre and Bernard Rapoport Academy | 396 | 12.4 | 77.0% | Rapoport Academy Public School |
| Provident Heights Elementary | 383 | 14.7 | 93.2% | Waco ISD |
| J H Hines Elementary | 379 | 19.4 | 98.2% | Waco ISD |
| Brook Avenue Elementary | 356 | 17.0 | 96.9% | Waco ISD |
| Connally Elementary | 352 | 13.6 | 79.8% | Connally ISD |
| Mountainview Elementary | 349 | 13.7 | 83.4% | Waco ISD |
| Bosqueville Elementary | 319 | 11.4 | 37.0% | Bosqueville ISD |
| Connally Early Childhood Center | 251 | 13.8 | 88.4% | Connally ISD |
| West Avenue Elementary | 249 | 13.8 | 95.2% | Waco ISD |
| Speegleville Elementary | 228 | 11.9 | 46.9% | Midway ISD |
| Hallsburg School | 131 | 11.2 | 62.6% | Hallsburg ISD |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
3 other schools in Waco, 364 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gholson School | 264 | 13.3 | 71.6% | Gholson ISD |
| G L Wiley Opportunity Center | 98 | 6.5 | 81.6% | Waco ISD |
| Mclennan Co Challenge Academy | 2 | not reported | not reported | Moody ISD |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
How Waco's public schools compare with Texas's
The median Waco school has 14.1 students per full-time teacher, about the same as the Texas median of 14.5. 75% of its schools ran a schoolwide Title I program in 2021-22, against 70% across the state. Its median school enrolls 390 students (state 507).
| Waco | Texas | |
|---|---|---|
| Median students per teacher | 14.1 | 14.5 |
| Median school size (students) | 390 | 507 |
| Schools with a schoolwide Title I program (2021-22) | 75% | 70% |
| Schools where every student eats free (CEP) | 28% | 52% |
| Charter schools | 10% | 11% |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch program, charter status; the 58 Waco schools and the 8,846 Texas schools open that year with students); Title I status CCD 2021-22. Students per teacher counts 2024-25 teachers and ratios from 3 to 99.
What to look at next in Waco
- Waco ISDRuns 23 of Waco's 58 public schools and spent $14,294 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$14,294
- Midway High School, the largest high school in Waco2,687 students in 2024-25, 16.2 per teacher.2,687
- Compare Waco ISD with Midway ISDWaco's two largest operators side by side: enrollment, spending and schools.
- The largest public schools in TexasTexas's 50 largest schools open in 2024-25, by enrollment.
- Find the school district for a Waco addressA home's district, not its city, decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools and their operating agencies); NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student).
Choosing among them: how to choose a school district with the federal data, and what a Title I school is.
Other cities in Texas
- Houston759 schools
- San Antonio521 schools
- Dallas352 schools
- Austin258 schools
- Fort Worth257 schools
- El Paso213 schools
- Arlington102 schools
- Corpus Christi90 schools
Questions about schools in Waco
How many public schools are in Waco, TX?
58 public schools with an address in Waco were open in 2024-25: 19 high, 8 middle, 28 elementary, 3 other, enrolling 26,254 students. 6 are charter schools.What is the largest high school in Waco?
Midway High School, with 2,687 students in 2024-25 (Midway ISD).Which districts run Waco's schools?
Waco ISD (23 schools), Midway ISD (6 schools), La Vega ISD (5 schools), Connally ISD (4 schools), and 13 more. A school's district, not its city, decides who can enroll.
These figures are for information and are not a substitute for the district's enrollment office, which confirms the school a home is assigned to.
Sources
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25
Source: NCES Common Core of Data Public school search (the official record of each school) · 2024-25