Enrollment
462
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Plano, TX
Carpenter Middle
Federal NCES profile for Carpenter Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 483510003958
👥 S:T ratio 60
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 69
📋 Attendance 23
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Carpenter Middle earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of Texas schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #3 of 12
- middle schools in Plano · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10:1
- small classes for Texas
- 56.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Carpenter Middle has class sizes smaller than 90% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Carpenter Middle ranks #3 of 12 middle schools in Plano, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.4%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
-9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Carpenter Middle compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Carpenter Middle
Carpenter Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Plano, Texas, enrolling 462 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10:1, Carpenter Middle is leaner than roughly 90% of Texas schools and 32% under the state's 14.7:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 56.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 462 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.
Among 1,326 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #125, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (49%) and African American (21%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 154 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 213 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 462 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Plano Isd also operates Plano East Sr H S (3,033 students) and Plano West Senior H S (2,559 students) alongside Carpenter 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 Carpenter Middle compares
Carpenter 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 | 10:1 | ▼ 32% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.4% | ▼ 9% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 462 | top 55% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10:1
Leaner classes than 89% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
462
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
56.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 9% 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
10:1
students per teacher
- 32% below state mean
Top 10% in Texas - lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
31.0%
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
$11,203
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 154 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
112
in-school suspensions + 101 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 24.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 46.1 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 49.4%
African American 21.2%
White 19.0%
Asian 5.4%
Two or More 4.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 49.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.0, Carpenter Middle is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Plano Isd, which includes Carpenter Middle.
$11,203
Per student
-18%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 80.7%
State 7.3%
Federal 12.0%
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 Carpenter Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plano East Sr H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Plano West Senior H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Plano Sr H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Shepton H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jasper H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Carpenter Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,033
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,559
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 2,267
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,360
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,301
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
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 (~462 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Carpenter Middle's federal record.
- Compare Carpenter Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Plano 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 Carpenter Middle
How many students attend Carpenter Middle?
Carpenter Middle has 462 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Plano, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Carpenter Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Carpenter Middle is 10:1, which is 32% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 36% 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 Carpenter Middle?
56.4% of students at Carpenter Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Carpenter Middle?
The largest demographic group at Carpenter Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 49.4% of enrollment, in Plano, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Carpenter Middle?
Carpenter Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (higher 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 Carpenter Middle rank among middle schools in Plano?
By Resource Investment Index, Carpenter Middle ranks #3 of 12 middle schools in Plano, 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 Plano on the city page.
Is Carpenter Middle a good school?
Carpenter Middle earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of Texas schools. 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 Plano Isd?
Besides Carpenter Middle, Plano Isd also operates Plano East Sr H S (3,033 students), Plano West Senior H S (2,559 students), and Plano Sr H S (2,267 students). See the Plano 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.