Enrollment
457
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Duncanville, TX
Central El
Federal NCES profile for Central El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 481764001523
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 9
📋 Attendance 29
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central El earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Texas schools.
- #7 of 8
- schools in Duncanville · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19:1
- large classes for Texas
- 87.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Central El has class sizes larger than 90% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central El ranks #7 of 8 schools in Duncanville, TX.
School address
District: Duncanville Isd · Texas
NCES ID 481764001523 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
87.1%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+41% 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 high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Duncanville, Texas, enrolling 457 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19:1 is larger than about 90% of Texas schools and 29% above the 14.7:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 87.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 457 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 1,928 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #1,432, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (71%) and African American (25%) (diversity index 43/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 457 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Duncanville Isd also operates Duncanville H S (4,399 students) and G W Kennemer Middle (795 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 | 19:1 | ▲ 29% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 87.1% | ▲ 41% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 457 | top 56% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19:1
Leaner classes than 20% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
457
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
87.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% 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
19:1
students per teacher
- 29% above state mean
Top 90% in Texas - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
28.4%
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
$11,709
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 457 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.3 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 71.1%
African American 24.9%
White 2.2%
Two or More 1.5%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 71.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.2, Central El is about as mixed as the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Duncanville Isd, which includes Central El.
$11,709
Per student
-14%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 46.5%
State 37.9%
Federal 15.7%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duncanville H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| G W Kennemer Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| James R Bilhartz Jr El | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Charles Acton El | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| William Lee Hastings 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
- 4,399
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 795
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 541
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 537
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 529
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
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 (~457 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central El's federal record.
- Compare Central El against another school. Compare schools
- Duncanville 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 457 students enrolled. It is a public school in Duncanville, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central El?
The student-teacher ratio at Central El is 19:1, which is 29% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 21% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central El?
87.1% 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 Hispanic or Latino at 71.1% of enrollment, in Duncanville, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central El?
Central El has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 Duncanville?
By Resource Investment Index, Central El ranks #7 of 8 schools in Duncanville, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Duncanville on the city page.
Is Central El a good school?
Central El earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of 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 Duncanville Isd?
Besides Central El, Duncanville Isd also operates Duncanville H S (4,399 students), G W Kennemer Middle (795 students), and James R Bilhartz Jr El (541 students). See the Duncanville 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.