Enrollment
505
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Plainview, TX
Central El
Federal NCES profile for Central El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 483507022850
👥 S:T ratio 50
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central El earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% of Texas schools.
- #1 of 5
- schools in Plainview · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.6:1
- small classes for Texas
- 83.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Central El has class sizes smaller than 70% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central El ranks #1 of 5 schools in Plainview, TX.
School address
District: Plainview Isd · Texas
NCES ID 483507022850 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.6:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-14% 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
What stands out at Central El
Central El is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Plainview, Texas, enrolling 505 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 83.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 505 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 2,241 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #186, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (78%) and White (18%) (diversity index 37/100).
Its district draws 24.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Plainview Isd also operates Plainview H S (1,418 students) and Plainview J H (634 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 | 12.6:1 | ▼ 14% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 83.0% | ▲ 34% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 505 | top 49% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.6:1
Leaner classes than 70% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
505
Bigger than 62% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
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
12.6:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 30% in Texas - lower ratio than 70% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$12,389
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.
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 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.
Student-body diversity index 36.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.5, Central El is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Plainview Isd, which includes Central El.
$12,389
Per student
-9%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Central El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plainview H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Plainview J H | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Plainview Int | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North El | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| South El | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher 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
- 1,418
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 634
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 554
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 492
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 456
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
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 (~505 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central El's federal record.
- Compare Central El against another school. Compare schools
- Plainview 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 505 students enrolled. It is a public school in Plainview, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central El?
The student-teacher ratio at Central El is 12.6:1, which is 14% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 20% 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?
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% of enrollment, in Plainview, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central El?
Central El has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 1 factor: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Central El rank among schools in Plainview?
By Resource Investment Index, Central El ranks #1 of 5 schools in Plainview, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Plainview on the city page.
Is Central El a good school?
Central El earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% 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 Plainview Isd?
Besides Central El, Plainview Isd also operates Plainview H S (1,418 students), Plainview J H (634 students), and Plainview Int (554 students). See the Plainview 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.