Enrollment
476
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Center, TX
Center El
Federal NCES profile for Center El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 481332000832
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 5
📋 Attendance 41
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Center El earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #4 of 6
- public schools in Center · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.4:1
- students per teacher
- 71.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Center El has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Center El ranks #4 of 6 public schools in Center, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
71.8%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Center El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Center El
Center El is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Center, Texas, enrolling 476 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 71.8% lands close to the Texas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 476 students, its enrollment sits close to the Texas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 1,771 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #1,089.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (47%) and African American (22%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 476 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 25.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 106 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 476 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Center Isd also operates Center H S (662 students) and F L Moffett Pri (630 students) alongside Center 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 Center El compares
Center 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 | 15.4:1 | ▲ 5% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 71.8% | ▲ 16% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 476 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
476
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
71.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 16% 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
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 64% in Texas - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
23.5%
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
$12,817
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 476 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
79
in-school suspensions + 27 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 16.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 22.3 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 46.8%
African American 21.6%
White 21.2%
Asian 6.1%
Two or More 3.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 46.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.5, Center El is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Center Isd, which includes Center El.
$12,817
Per student
-6%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.7%
State 52.4%
Federal 25.9%
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 Center El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Center H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| F L Moffett Pri | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Center Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Roughrider Academy | Smaller | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Center El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 662
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 630
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 496
- Students per teacher
- 10.8:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 43
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 61/100
Similar elementary 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 (~476 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Center El's federal record.
- Compare Center El against another school. Compare schools
- Center 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 Center El
How many students attend Center El?
Center El has 476 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Center, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Center El?
The student-teacher ratio at Center El is 15.4:1, which is 5% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 2% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Center El?
71.8% of students at Center El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Center El?
The largest demographic group at Center El is Hispanic or Latino at 46.8% of enrollment, in Center, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Center El?
Center El has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Center El rank among public schools in Center?
By Resource Investment Index, Center El ranks #4 of 6 public schools in Center, 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 Center on the city page.
Is Center El a good school?
Center El earns 39/100 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 Center Isd?
Besides Center El, Center Isd also operates Center H S (662 students), F L Moffett Pri (630 students), and Center Middle (496 students). See the Center 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.