Enrollment
405
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Stephenville, TX
Central El
Federal NCES profile for Central El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 484152004744
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 19
📋 Attendance 49
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central El earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median.
- #4 of 4
- schools in Stephenville · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14:1
- students per teacher
- 59.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Central El has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central El ranks #4 of 4 schools in Stephenville, TX.
School address
District: Stephenville Isd · Texas
NCES ID 484152004744 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
59.7%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
-4% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central El
Central El is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Stephenville, Texas, enrolling 405 students.
At 14:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 59.7% lands close to the Texas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 405 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.
Among 1,250 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #1,093, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (45%) and Hispanic or Latino (45%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 405 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Stephenville Isd spends $9,978 per pupil, 27% below the Texas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Stephenville Isd also operates Stephenville H S (1,079 students) and Gilbert Int (562 students) alongside Central 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 Central El compares
Central 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 | 14:1 | ▼ 5% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 59.7% | ▼ 4% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 405 | top 63% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 57% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
405
Bigger than 48% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
59.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 4% 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
14:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 47% in Texas - lower ratio than 53% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
20.5%
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
$9,978
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 405 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
White 45.4%
Hispanic or Latino 44.9%
Two or More 4.9%
Asian 2.5%
African American 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 45.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.9, Central El is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Stephenville Isd, which includes Central El.
$9,978
Per student
-27%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-40%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.2%
State 28.7%
Federal 13.0%
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 Central El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stephenville H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gilbert Int | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Henderson J H | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chamberlin El | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hook El | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,079
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 562
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 544
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 503
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 485
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
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 (~405 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central El's federal record.
- Compare Central El against another school. Compare schools
- Stephenville 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 Central El
How many students attend Central El?
Central El has 405 students enrolled. It is a public school in Stephenville, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central El?
The student-teacher ratio at Central El is 14:1, which is 5% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 11% 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 Central El?
59.7% of students at Central El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central El?
The largest demographic group at Central El is White at 45.4% of enrollment, in Stephenville, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central El?
Central El has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Central El rank among schools in Stephenville?
By Resource Investment Index, Central El ranks #4 of 4 schools in Stephenville, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Stephenville on the city page.
Is Central El a good school?
Central El earns 35/100 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 Stephenville Isd?
Besides Central El, Stephenville Isd also operates Stephenville H S (1,079 students), Gilbert Int (562 students), and Henderson J H (544 students). See the Stephenville 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.