Life School

Public school district · Ellis County · Texas · NCES district ID 4800055

Life School spent $10,430 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 88% of the other Texas districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $12,244). Its 8 schools enrolled 5,735 students in 2024-25; 81.0% of its revenue came from the state. Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 98% (Texas: 90.3%).

NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method

Spending per student among Texas districts of similar size

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Life School in enrollment (5,242 to 5,732 students) and Life School itself.

Current spending per student, Texas districts closest in size to Life School, FY23Everman ISD $14,468; School of Science and Technology Discovery $11,913; Greenville ISD $11,818; Port Neches-Groves ISD $11,533; Elgin ISD $11,080; Houston West District $10,846; Melissa Schools $10,487; Flour Bluff ISD $10,457; Life School $10,430; Wylie ISD $9,047; State median, 1,000+ students $12,244.8k10k12k14k16kEverman ISD$14,468School of Science and Technolo…$11,913Greenville ISD$11,818Port Neches-Groves ISD$11,533Elgin ISD$11,080Houston West District$10,846Melissa Schools$10,487Flour Bluff ISD$10,457Life School$10,430Wylie ISD$9,047State median, 1,000+ students $12,244
Current spending per student, Texas districts closest in size to Life School, FY23Everman ISD $14,468; School of Science and Technology Discovery $11,913; Greenville ISD $11,818; Port Neches-Groves ISD $11,533; Elgin ISD $11,080; Houston West District $10,846; Melissa Schools $10,487; Flour Bluff ISD $10,457; Life School $10,430; Wylie ISD $9,047; State median, 1,000+ students $12,244.8k10k12k14k16kEverman ISD$14,468School of Science and Technology Di…$11,913Greenville ISD$11,818Port Neches-Groves ISD$11,533Elgin ISD$11,080Houston West District$10,846Melissa Schools$10,487Flour Bluff ISD$10,457Life School$10,430Wylie ISD$9,047State median, 1,000+ students $12,244
Current spending per student, Texas districts closest in size to Life School, FY23Everman ISD $14,468; School of Science and Technology Discovery $11,913; Greenville ISD $11,818; Port Neches-Groves ISD $11,533; Elgin ISD $11,080; Houston West District $10,846; Melissa Schools $10,487; Flour Bluff ISD $10,457; Life School $10,430; Wylie ISD $9,047; State median, 1,000+ students $12,244.8k12k16kEverman ISD$14,468School of Science and Technology Discovery$11,913Greenville ISD$11,818Port Neches-Groves ISD$11,533Elgin ISD$11,080Houston West District$10,846Melissa Schools$10,487Flour Bluff ISD$10,457Life School$10,430Wylie ISD$9,047State median, 1,000+ students $12,244
Current spending per student, Texas districts closest in size to Life School, FY23Everman ISD $14,468; School of Science and Technology Discovery $11,913; Greenville ISD $11,818; Port Neches-Groves ISD $11,533; Elgin ISD $11,080; Houston West District $10,846; Melissa Schools $10,487; Flour Bluff ISD $10,457; Life School $10,430; Wylie ISD $9,047; State median, 1,000+ students $12,244.8k12k16kEverman ISD$14,468School of Science and Technology Discov…$11,913Greenville ISD$11,818Port Neches-Groves ISD$11,533Elgin ISD$11,080Houston West District$10,846Melissa Schools$10,487Flour Bluff ISD$10,457Life School$10,430Wylie ISD$9,047State median, 1,000+ students $12,244

Where the money came from

$75,420,000 in revenue: 81.0% state, 4.3% local and 14.8% federal. Total spending was $57,615,000, or $10,479 per student; the district reported no capital outlay that year.

Life School revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $61,053,000; Local $3,227,000; Federal $11,140,000; total $75,420,000.
  • State$61,053,000 81%
  • Local$3,227,000 4%
  • Federal$11,140,000 15%

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 577 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).

Enrollment rose from 2022-23 to 2024-25

5,498 students in 2022-23, 5,734 students in 2023-24, 5,735 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Life School enrollment by school year2022-23: 5,498, 2023-24: 5,734, 2024-25: 5,73502k4k6k2022-235,4982023-245,7342024-255,735
Life School enrollment by school year2022-23: 5,498, 2023-24: 5,734, 2024-25: 5,73502k4k6k2022-235,4982023-245,7342024-255,735
Life School enrollment by school year2022-23: 5,498, 2023-24: 5,734, 2024-25: 5,73502k4k6k2022-235,4982023-245,7342024-255,735
Life School enrollment by school year2022-23: 5,498, 2023-24: 5,734, 2024-25: 5,73502k4k6k2022-235,4982023-245,7342024-255,735

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-235,498341.116.1
2023-245,734304.818.8
2024-255,735319.418.0

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

$13,549,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $2,464 per student

Life School booked $13,549,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 341 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $39,727 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 8 in 100 Texas districts with a figure (state median $50,660, 1,054 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Texas teacher salary at $58,887 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).

ProgramTeacher salariesShare
Regular programs$10,009,00073.9%
Special education$1,571,00011.6%
Vocational$879,0006.5%
Other programs$1,090,0008.0%

Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $2,518 in 2018-19, $2,959 in 2019-20, $2,975 in 2020-21, $2,726 in 2021-22, $2,464 in 2022-23.

Life School teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $2,518, 2019-20: $2,959, 2020-21: $2,975, 2021-22: $2,726, 2022-23: $2,46401k2k3k2018-19$2,5182019-20$2,9592020-21$2,9752021-22$2,7262022-23$2,464
Life School teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $2,518, 2019-20: $2,959, 2020-21: $2,975, 2021-22: $2,726, 2022-23: $2,46401k2k3k2018-19$2,5182019-20$2,9592020-21$2,9752021-22$2,7262022-23$2,464
Life School teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $2,518, 2019-20: $2,959, 2020-21: $2,975, 2021-22: $2,726, 2022-23: $2,46401k2k3k2018-19$2,5182019-20$2,9592020-21$2,9752021-22$2,7262022-23$2,464
Life School teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $2,518, 2019-20: $2,959, 2020-21: $2,975, 2021-22: $2,726, 2022-23: $2,46401k2k3k2018-19$2,5182019-20$2,9592020-21$2,9752021-22$2,7262022-23$2,464

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).

State test results, 2021-22

In 2021-22, the students tested in Life School scored proficient or above: 43% in reading and 29% in math, against 52% in reading and 42% in math across Texas. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Texas, not across states. Where a state published results by grade only, the grades tested are combined, weighted by the students tested in each.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtTexasStudents tested
Reading and language arts43%52%2,650
Math29%42%2,652

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.

Graduation rate, class of 2023

98% of the 318 students in Life School's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 90.3% across Texas. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtTexas
Four-year graduation rate98%90.3%
Students in the class318403,301

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.

5 elementary schools, 2,587 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Life School Red Oak1,04523.142.5%Schoolwide program
Life School Lancaster45517.465.1%Schoolwide program
Life School Cedar Hill45019.964.0%Schoolwide program
Life School Mountain Creek35415.972.0%Schoolwide program
Life School Carrollton28316.552.7%Schoolwide program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 middle school, 551 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Life Middle Waxahachie55115.346.1%Schoolwide program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 high school, 1,114 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Life H S Waxahachie1,11417.940.5%Schoolwide program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 other school, 1,483 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Life School Oak Cliff1,48316.872.6%Schoolwide program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

Contact Life School

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.

What to look at next about Life School

  1. Texas districts by spending per studentLife School ranks 508 of 577 Texas districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($10,430).#508 of 577
  2. Every school district in TexasLife School is the number 191 by size of 1,212 Texas districts, with 5,498 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#191 of 1,212
  3. School of Science and Technology DiscoveryThe next larger Texas district: 5,644 students in fall 2022, $11,913 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$11,913
  4. Greenville ISDThe next smaller Texas district: 5,422 students in fall 2022, $11,818 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$11,818
  5. Compare Life School with School of Science and Technology DiscoveryEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. Life H S Waxahachie, its largest high school1,114 students in 2024-25, 17.9 per teacher.1,114
  7. Teacher salary spending across TexasLife School spent $39,727 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $50,660); spending, not a salary.$39,727
  8. Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.

Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).

Questions about Life School

  1. How many schools and students are in Life School?
    8 schools were open in 2024-25 (5 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high, 1 other), enrolling 5,735 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Life School spend per student?
    $10,430 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Texas median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $12,244 and the U.S. figure is $16,260.
  3. Where does Life School's money come from?
    $75,420,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 81.0% state, 4.3% local and 14.8% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How much does Life School spend on teacher salaries?
    $13,549,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $2,464 per student. Divided by the 341 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $39,727 per teacher, more than 8 in 100 Texas districts (state median $50,660). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Texas teacher salary at $58,887 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
  5. How do students in Life School do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Life School scored proficient or above: 43% in reading and 29% in math, against 52% in reading and 42% in math across Texas. Texas's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.
  6. What is the graduation rate in Life School?
    98% of the 318 students in Life School's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 90.3% across Texas. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.
  7. What is Life School's NCES district ID?
    4800055. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.

Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.

Sources

Every federal file behind this record
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
  • Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
  • EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
  • EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25

Compiled from official source data by .