Enrollment
505
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 483507022850
Central El — Plainview, TX
Federal NCES profile for Central El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 37/100.
👥 Class size 37
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Plainview Isd · Texas
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.8:1
vs 14.6:1 Texas avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
83.0%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Central El reports 505 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 40.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 15.8:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 8% above the Texas state mean of 14.6:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 1% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 83.0% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 34% above the Texas average and 60% above the national baseline.
On the finance side, the surrounding Plainview Isd spends $25,238 per pupil district-wide, above the Texas average of $17,150 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 25.0% from local sources (property taxes), 50.4% from the state, and 24.5% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (F), calculated from 1 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Central El compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Texas state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.8:1 | ▲ 8% | 14.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 83.0% | ▲ 34% | 61.9% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 505 | top 51% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
83.0%
free-lunch eligible
— 34% 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
15.8:1
students per teacher
— 8% above state mean
Top 69% in Texas — lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$25,238
per pupil, district-wide
— above Texas avg of $17,150
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Overview
Enrollment 505 Top 51% in Texas — larger than 49% of 9,061 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 40.0
Students per teacher 15.8:1 +8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 83.0% +34% vs state
NCES ID 483507022850
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 77.6%
White 18.0%
African American 2.2%
Two or More 1.4%
Asian 0.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 77.6% of enrollment.
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Plainview Isd, which includes Central El.
$25,238
Per student
+47%
vs Texas
Avg $17,150
+29%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 25.0%
State 50.4%
Federal 24.5%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,418
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Enrollment
- 634
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Enrollment
- 554
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Enrollment
- 492
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Enrollment
- 456
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
Similar other schools in Plainview
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Central El
How many students attend Central El?
Central El has 505 students enrolled. It is a other school in PLAINVIEW, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central El?
The student-teacher ratio at Central El is 15.8:1, which is 8% higher than the Texas average of 14.6:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central El?
83.0% 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 77.6%. The school serves a diverse student body in PLAINVIEW, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central El?
Central El has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (F) based on 1 factor: student-teacher ratio. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.