Enrollment
1,040
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Houston, TX
Birkes El
Federal NCES profile for Birkes El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 481611009619
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 68
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Birkes El earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #109 of 435
- schools in Houston · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.6:1
- students per teacher
- 42.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Birkes El has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Birkes El ranks #109 of 435 schools in Houston, TX.
School address
District: Cypress-Fairbanks Isd · Texas
NCES ID 481611009619 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
71.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.5%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
-31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Birkes El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Birkes El
Birkes El is a large combined-grade school in Houston, Texas, enrolling 1,040 students.
At 14.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Texas median, within a few percentage points of the 14.7:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 42.5% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Texas, bigger than 90% of state schools at 1,040 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 788 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #240.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (34%) and White (25%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 76/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 608 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
12.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Cypress-Fairbanks Isd spends $10,232 per pupil, 25% below the Texas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 15.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Cypress-Fairbanks Isd also operates Bridgeland H S (3,707 students) and Cypress Woods H S (3,469 students) alongside Birkes 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 Birkes El compares
Birkes 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 | 14.6:1 | ▼ 1% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.5% | ▼ 31% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,040 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.6:1
Leaner classes than 51% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,040
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% below the Texas average of 61.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.6:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 55% in Texas - lower ratio than 45% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
12.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$10,232
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
Counselors1.7 FTE
Per 608 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
22
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.5 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 34.2%
White 24.9%
African American 19.0%
Asian 13.4%
Two or More 7.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 34.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 76.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 76.1, Birkes El is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cypress-Fairbanks Isd, which includes Birkes El.
$10,232
Per student
-25%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-38%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 56.0%
State 28.5%
Federal 15.5%
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 Birkes El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeland H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cypress Woods H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cypress Ranch H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jersey Village H S | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cypress Creek H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Birkes El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,707
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 3,469
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 3,463
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 3,323
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 3,222
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
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 (~1,040 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Birkes El's federal record.
- Compare Birkes El against another school. Compare schools
- Cypress-Fairbanks 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 Birkes El
How many students attend Birkes El?
Birkes El has 1,040 students enrolled. It is a public school in Houston, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Birkes El?
The student-teacher ratio at Birkes El is 14.6:1, which is 1% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 7% 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 Birkes El?
42.5% of students at Birkes El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Birkes El?
The largest demographic group at Birkes El is Hispanic or Latino at 34.2% of enrollment, in Houston, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 76.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Birkes El?
Birkes El has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Birkes El rank among schools in Houston?
By Resource Investment Index, Birkes El ranks #109 of 435 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 schools in Houston on the city page.
Is Birkes El a good school?
Birkes El earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools. 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 Cypress-Fairbanks Isd?
Besides Birkes El, Cypress-Fairbanks Isd also operates Bridgeland H S (3,707 students), Cypress Woods H S (3,469 students), and Cypress Ranch H S (3,463 students). See the Cypress-Fairbanks 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.