Enrollment
396
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Cameron, TX
Ben Milam El
Federal NCES profile for Ben Milam El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 481264007074
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 21
📋 Attendance 62
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ben Milam El earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Cameron · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.2:1
- students per teacher
- 73.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Ben Milam El has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ben Milam El ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Cameron, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.2:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
73.4%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ben Milam El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ben Milam El
Ben Milam El is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Cameron, Texas, enrolling 396 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 73.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 396 students, its enrollment sits close to the Texas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 1,511 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #385.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (52%) and White (30%) (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 396 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
15.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 24.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Cameron Isd also operates Cameron Yoe H S (479 students) and Cameron El (308 students) alongside Ben Milam El.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Ben Milam El compares
Ben Milam El on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.2:1 | ▲ 3% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 73.4% | ▲ 19% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 396 | top 64% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.2:1
Leaner classes than 45% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
396
Bigger than 47% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
73.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% above the Texas average of 61.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.2:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 62% in Texas - lower ratio than 38% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
15.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,467
per pupil, district-wide
- below Texas avg of $13,644
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 396 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
16
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 51.5%
White 29.8%
African American 13.9%
Two or More 4.3%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 51.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.5, Ben Milam El is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cameron Isd, which includes Ben Milam El.
$11,467
Per student
-16%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.1%
State 48.1%
Federal 24.8%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Ben Milam El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cameron Yoe H S | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cameron El | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cameron Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ben Milam El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 479
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 308
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 305
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Texas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~396 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ben Milam El's federal record.
- Compare Ben Milam El against another school. Compare schools
- Cameron Isd's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Ben Milam El
How many students attend Ben Milam El?
Ben Milam El has 396 students enrolled. It is a public school in Cameron, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ben Milam El?
The student-teacher ratio at Ben Milam El is 15.2:1, which is 3% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ben Milam El?
73.4% of students at Ben Milam El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ben Milam El?
The largest demographic group at Ben Milam El is Hispanic or Latino at 51.5% of enrollment, in Cameron, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ben Milam El?
Ben Milam El has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Ben Milam El rank among public schools in Cameron?
By Resource Investment Index, Ben Milam El ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Cameron, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Cameron on the city page.
Is Ben Milam El a good school?
Ben Milam El earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Cameron Isd?
Besides Ben Milam El, Cameron Isd also operates Cameron Yoe H S (479 students), Cameron El (308 students), and Cameron Middle (305 students). See the Cameron Isd district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.