Enrollment
786
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Waco, TX
Cesar Chavez Middle
Federal NCES profile for Cesar Chavez Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 484428009345
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cesar Chavez Middle earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of Texas schools.
- #3 of 6
- middle schools in Waco · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.5:1
- small classes for Texas
- 89.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Cesar Chavez Middle has class sizes smaller than 72% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cesar Chavez Middle ranks #3 of 6 middle schools in Waco, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
63.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.5:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
89.9%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+45% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cesar Chavez Middle compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cesar Chavez Middle
Cesar Chavez Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Waco, Texas, enrolling 786 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 89.9% of students qualify for free meals, 45% above the Texas average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 786 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 1,467 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #394.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (77%) and African American (18%) (diversity index 38/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 262 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 56.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 376 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 786 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 45 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Waco Isd also operates Waco H S (1,885 students) and University H S (1,752 students) alongside Cesar Chavez Middle.
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 Cesar Chavez Middle compares
Cesar Chavez Middle on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.5:1 | ▼ 15% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 89.9% | ▲ 45% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 786 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.5:1
Leaner classes than 71% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
786
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
89.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 45% above the Texas average of 61.9%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.5:1
students per teacher
- 15% below state mean
Top 28% in Texas - lower ratio than 72% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
56.7%
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
$13,294
per pupil, district-wide
- below Texas avg of $13,644
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 262 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
192
in-school suspensions + 184 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 24.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 47.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 45 expulsions.
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 76.5%
African American 18.1%
White 4.1%
Two or More 1.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 76.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.0, Cesar Chavez Middle is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waco Isd, which includes Cesar Chavez Middle.
$13,294
Per student
-3%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 46.6%
State 33.9%
Federal 19.5%
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 Cesar Chavez Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waco H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| University H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tennyson Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bell's Hill El | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lake Air Montessori School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cesar Chavez Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,885
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 1,752
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 963
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 786
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 734
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar middle 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 (~786 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cesar Chavez Middle's federal record.
- Compare Cesar Chavez Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Waco 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 Cesar Chavez Middle
How many students attend Cesar Chavez Middle?
Cesar Chavez Middle has 786 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Waco, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cesar Chavez Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Cesar Chavez Middle is 12.5:1, which is 15% 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 Cesar Chavez Middle?
89.9% of students at Cesar Chavez Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cesar Chavez Middle?
The largest demographic group at Cesar Chavez Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 76.5% of enrollment, in Waco, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cesar Chavez Middle?
Cesar Chavez Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Cesar Chavez Middle rank among middle schools in Waco?
By Resource Investment Index, Cesar Chavez Middle ranks #3 of 6 middle schools in Waco, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Waco on the city page.
Is Cesar Chavez Middle a good school?
Cesar Chavez Middle earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% 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 Waco Isd?
Besides Cesar Chavez Middle, Waco Isd also operates Waco H S (1,885 students), University H S (1,752 students), and Tennyson Middle (963 students). See the Waco 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.