The Lawson Academy

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.

Houston, Texas - 1 schools

At $18,978 per pupil, The Lawson Academy ranks #124 of 1207 Texas districts by per-pupil spending (Texas districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

134
Total Enrollment
1
Schools
$18,978
Per-Pupil Spending
Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

The Lawson Academy operates 1 public schools serving 134 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Texas. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 middle schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Harris County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $18,978 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 1207 Texas districts by per-pupil spending. See how Texas compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 6.6% local, 60.6% state, and 32.7% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles.

and 21.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 71.9% African American, 23.0% Hispanic or Latino, 3.0% Asian across the district's schools.

Its largest campus is The Lawson Academy, enrolling 235 students (100% of the district's total enrollment).

Enrollment across the district's NCES-reporting campuses grew 45.5% between 2022-23 and 2023-24 (134 to 195 students), while the student-teacher ratio widened by 8.2 students per teacher, per the NCES Common Core of Data annual universe files.

Of the district's $2,543,000 in reported FY2023 expenditures, 46.5% went to instruction, 47.7% to support services, and 0% to capital outlay, support-services-heavy relative to typical districts, reflecting spending on transportation, administration, or student services. Figures come from the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey's function-level breakdown, not the aggregate per-pupil figure above.

The Lawson Academy accounts for 100.0% of all The Lawson Academy student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of The Lawson Academy a distant remainder — means The Lawson Academy-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: middle. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Because it contains a majority of the affected population, enrollment-weighted aggregates will sit closer to this entity's reported fields than to those of smaller peers; an unweighted entity count answers a different question.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

The Lawson Academy reports 99.3% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share is above 87.5%, so economic need is widespread across the measured student population. 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

The Lawson Academy chronic absenteeism rate is 21.3% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within The Lawson Academy is typically wider than the The Lawson Academy-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

32.7%
Federal
60.6%
State
6.6%
Local

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 1 schools in The Lawson Academy.

White 1.7%
Hispanic or Latino 23.0%
African American 71.9%
Asian 3.0%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

21.3%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in The Lawson Academy

School Enrollment
The Lawson Academy
Charter
235

How The Lawson Academy Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Texas districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Calvert Isd Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Por Vida Academy Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Nursery Isd Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Rule Isd Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Trinidad Isd Similar size Similar spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to The Lawson Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Texas

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Houston Isd
189,934 students · 274 schools · $13,072/pupil
Compare vs The Lawson Academy →
Dallas Isd
141,169 students · 240 schools · $14,470/pupil
Compare vs The Lawson Academy →
Cypress-Fairbanks Isd
118,010 students · 91 schools · $10,693/pupil
Compare vs The Lawson Academy →
Northside Isd
102,719 students · 124 schools · $10,632/pupil
Compare vs The Lawson Academy →
Katy Isd
92,667 students · 74 schools · $11,284/pupil
Compare vs The Lawson Academy →

Nationwide districts with similar enrollment or spending

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.

Compare The Lawson Academy

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Houston Isd →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in The Lawson Academy?

The Lawson Academy has 1 school, including 1 middle. Total enrollment is 134 students.

How much does The Lawson Academy spend per student?

The Lawson Academy spends $18,978 per student.

What is the demographic composition of The Lawson Academy?

The Lawson Academy students are 71.9% African American, 23.0% Hispanic or Latino, 3.0% Asian, 1.7% White, averaged across 1 school. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.