Enrollment
613
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Waco, TX
China Spring El
Federal NCES profile for China Spring El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 481396000880
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 58
📋 Attendance 52
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
China Spring El earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of Texas schools.
- #1 of 6
- elementary schools in Waco · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.5:1
- small classes for Texas
- 30.9%
- free-lunch eligible
China Spring El has class sizes smaller than 72% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, China Spring El ranks #1 of 6 elementary schools in Waco, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.5:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.9%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
-50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How China Spring El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at China Spring El
China Spring El is a mid-sized elementary school in Waco, Texas, enrolling 613 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.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 30.9% free-meal eligibility runs 50% below the Texas average.
With 613 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 967 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #44, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (63%) and Hispanic or Latino (26%) (diversity index 54/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 211 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding China Spring Isd spends $10,041 per pupil, 26% below the Texas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
China Spring Isd also operates China Spring H S (959 students) and China Spring Int (491 students) alongside China Spring 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 China Spring El compares
China Spring 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 | 12.5:1 | ▼ 15% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.9% | ▼ 50% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 613 | top 36% | - | - |
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.
613
Bigger than 74% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% below the Texas average of 61.9%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
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
19.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$10,041
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
Counselors2.9 FTE
Per 211 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
56
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.1 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 62.6%
Hispanic or Latino 26.3%
African American 5.1%
Two or More 3.9%
Asian 1.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 62.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.5, China Spring El is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for China Spring Isd, which includes China Spring El.
$10,041
Per student
-26%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-39%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.3%
State 43.8%
Federal 10.9%
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 China Spring El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| China Spring H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| China Spring Int | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| China Spring Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| China Spring Pri | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tag | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to China Spring El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 959
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 491
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 483
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 456
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 11
- Students per teacher
- 3.7:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
Similar elementary 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 (~613 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on China Spring El's federal record.
- Compare China Spring El against another school. Compare schools
- China Spring 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 China Spring El
How many students attend China Spring El?
China Spring El has 613 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Waco, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at China Spring El?
The student-teacher ratio at China Spring El 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 China Spring El?
30.9% of students at China Spring El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of China Spring El?
The largest demographic group at China Spring El is White at 62.6% of enrollment, in Waco, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for China Spring El?
China Spring El has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (higher 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 China Spring El rank among elementary schools in Waco?
By Resource Investment Index, China Spring El ranks #1 of 6 elementary 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 elementary schools in Waco on the city page.
Is China Spring El a good school?
China Spring El earns 57/100 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 China Spring Isd?
Besides China Spring El, China Spring Isd also operates China Spring H S (959 students), China Spring Int (491 students), and China Spring Middle (483 students). See the China Spring 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.