- Enrollment
- 4,057
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Houston, TX
Best El
Federal NCES profile for Best El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 480783021293
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 35
📋 Attendance 24
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Best El earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% of Texas schools.
- #20 of 114
- elementary schools in Houston · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.4:1
- small classes for Texas
- 89.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Best El has class sizes smaller than 73% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Best El ranks #20 of 114 elementary schools in Houston, TX.
School address
CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24
-36 students YoY
Best El shrank from 674 students in 2022-23 to 638 in 2023-24 (-5.3%).
Teacher FTE lost 53.4 → 52.7 across the same CCD years.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).
Shrinking CCD campus
-36 students YoY 480783021293 · Houston, TX Elementary · MID · TRAD
655 enr · 12.4:1 · 89.3% lunch · RII 45
Nearest enrollment peer: Elsik H S (4,057 students)
Best El shrank from 674 students in 2022-23 to 638 in 2023-24 (-5.3%). Teacher FTE lost 53.4 → 52.7 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Texas schools → · Find another →
Best El in the enrollment neighbourhood
Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers
- Elsik H S
Elsik H S
4,057 students
- Hastings H S
Hastings H S
3,786 students
- Taylor H S
Taylor H S
2,838 students
- O'donnell Midd 1,214
O'donnell Middle
1,214 students
- Budewig Int 1,054
Budewig Int
1,054 students
- This school 655
Best El
655 students
What this shows Best El reports 655 students on the CCD universe file.
How Best El compares
Best El is a shrinking campus on CCD: ratios and free-lunch share vs Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.4:1 | ▼ 16% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 89.3% | ▲ 44% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 655 | top 31% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.4:1
Leaner classes than 72% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
655
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators methodology
Economic need
89.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 44% above the Texas average of 61.9%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.4:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 27% in Texas - lower ratio than 73% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
30.4%
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
$13,388
per pupil, district-wide
- below Texas avg of $14,348
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 328 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
13
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 86.0%
African American 9.6%
White 2.3%
Asian 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 86.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 25.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 25.0, Best El is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
District finance for Alief Isd reports $13,388 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.
How Best El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elsik H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hastings H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Taylor H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| O'donnell Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Budewig Int | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Best El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,786
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 2,838
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,214
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 1,054
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Nationwide elementary schools with similar size or staffing
Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.
Similar enrollment (~655 students)
Frequently asked questions about Best El
How many students attend Best El?
Best El has 655 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Houston, TX. CCD year-over-year: 674 (2022-23) → 638 (2023-24), down 36.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Best El?
The student-teacher ratio at Best El is 12.4:1, which is 16% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 21% 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 Best El?
89.3% of students at Best El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Best El?
The largest demographic group at Best El is Hispanic or Latino at 86.0% of enrollment, in Houston, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Best El?
Best El has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Best El rank among elementary schools in Houston?
By Resource Investment Index, Best El ranks #20 of 114 elementary schools in Houston, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Houston on the city page.
What other schools are in Alief Isd?
Besides Best El, Alief Isd also operates Elsik H S (4,057 students), Hastings H S (3,786 students), and Taylor H S (2,838 students). See the Alief Isd district page for the complete list.