Enrollment
488
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Cedar Hill, TX
Bessie Coleman Middle
Federal NCES profile for Bessie Coleman Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 481323010559
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 51
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bessie Coleman Middle earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median.
- #3 of 3
- middle schools in Cedar Hill · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.8:1
- students per teacher
- 64.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Bessie Coleman Middle has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bessie Coleman Middle ranks #3 of 3 middle schools in Cedar Hill, TX.
School address
District: Cedar Hill Isd · Texas
NCES ID 481323010559 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.8:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
64.9%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bessie Coleman Middle compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bessie Coleman Middle
Bessie Coleman Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Cedar Hill, Texas, enrolling 488 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 64.9% lands close to the Texas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 488 students, its enrollment sits close to the Texas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 1,599 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #720.
Its student body is led by African American (70%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%) (diversity index 47/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 244 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 43.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 350 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 488 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 16 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Cedar Hill Isd also operates Cedar Hill H S (1,974 students) and Waterford Oaks El (521 students) alongside Bessie Coleman Middle.
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 Bessie Coleman Middle compares
Bessie Coleman Middle on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.8:1 | ▼ 13% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 64.9% | ▲ 5% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 488 | top 52% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.8:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
488
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
64.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% 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
12.8:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 32% in Texas - lower ratio than 68% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
43.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$11,130
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 244 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
141
in-school suspensions + 209 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 28.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 71.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 16 expulsions.
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
African American 69.5%
Hispanic or Latino 21.5%
Two or More 5.1%
White 2.0%
Asian 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 69.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.8, Bessie Coleman Middle is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cedar Hill Isd, which includes Bessie Coleman Middle.
$11,130
Per student
-18%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 56.2%
State 23.1%
Federal 20.7%
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 Bessie Coleman Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Hill H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Waterford Oaks El | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cedar Hill Collegiate Prep | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lakeridge El | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| W S Permenter Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bessie Coleman Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,974
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 521
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 520
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 466
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 456
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar middle 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 (~488 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bessie Coleman Middle's federal record.
- Compare Bessie Coleman Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Cedar Hill 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 Bessie Coleman Middle
How many students attend Bessie Coleman Middle?
Bessie Coleman Middle has 488 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Cedar Hill, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bessie Coleman Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Bessie Coleman Middle is 12.8:1, which is 13% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 18% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bessie Coleman Middle?
64.9% of students at Bessie Coleman Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bessie Coleman Middle?
The largest demographic group at Bessie Coleman Middle is African American at 69.5% of enrollment, in Cedar Hill, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bessie Coleman Middle?
Bessie Coleman Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Bessie Coleman Middle rank among middle schools in Cedar Hill?
By Resource Investment Index, Bessie Coleman Middle ranks #3 of 3 middle schools in Cedar Hill, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Cedar Hill on the city page.
Is Bessie Coleman Middle a good school?
Bessie Coleman Middle earns 43/100 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 Cedar Hill Isd?
Besides Bessie Coleman Middle, Cedar Hill Isd also operates Cedar Hill H S (1,974 students), Waterford Oaks El (521 students), and Cedar Hill Collegiate Prep (520 students). See the Cedar Hill 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.