Enrollment
1,097
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 481623001229
David W Carter H S — Dallas, TX
Federal NCES profile for David W Carter H S, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 38/100.
👥 Class size 37
📚 AP courses 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 0
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: Dallas 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)
69.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.7:1
vs 14.6:1 Texas avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.2%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How David W Carter H S 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
David W Carter H S reports 1,097 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 69.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 15.7:1 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: 77.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 25% above the Texas average and 49% above the national baseline. The school offers 8 Advanced Placement courses, a stronger academic pipeline indicator than enrollment alone. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 274 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 71.8% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Dallas Isd spends $18,024 per pupil district-wide, above the Texas average of $17,150 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 72.4% from local sources (property taxes), 8.0% from the state, and 19.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (F), calculated from 5 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 David W Carter H S 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 | 15.7:1 | ▲ 8% | 14.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.2% | ▲ 25% | 61.9% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 1,097 | top 91% | — | — |
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
77.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 25% 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
15.7:1
students per teacher
— 8% above state mean
Top 67% in Texas — lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
71.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$18,024
per pupil, district-wide
— above Texas avg of $17,150
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 274 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
25
in-school suspensions + 67 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 1,097 Top 91% in Texas — larger than 9% of 9,061 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 69.0
Students per teacher 15.7:1 +8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 77.2% +25% vs state
NCES ID 481623001229
Student demographics
African American 57.0%
Hispanic or Latino 39.9%
White 1.5%
Two or More 1.2%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 57.0% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 8
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 4.0
Students per counselor 274:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 71.8%
In-school suspensions 25
Out-of-school suspensions 67
Expulsions 4
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dallas Isd, which includes David W Carter H S.
$18,024
Per student
+5%
vs Texas
Avg $17,150
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 72.4%
State 8.0%
Federal 19.6%
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
- 3,837
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Enrollment
- 2,208
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Enrollment
- 2,204
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Enrollment
- 2,164
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Enrollment
- 2,006
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
Similar high schools in Dallas
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Skyline H S
Standard public school
3,837 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Lake Highlands H S
Standard public school
2,972 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Bryan Adams H S Leadership Academy
Standard public school
2,208 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
W T White H S
Standard public school
2,204 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Sunset H S
Standard public school
2,164 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Highland Park H S
Standard public school
2,119 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
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 David W Carter H S
How many students attend David W Carter H S?
David W Carter H S has 1,097 students enrolled. It is a high school in DALLAS, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at David W Carter H S?
The student-teacher ratio at David W Carter H S is 15.7:1, 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 David W Carter H S?
77.2% of students at David W Carter H S are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of David W Carter H S?
The largest demographic group at David W Carter H S is African American at 57.0%. The school serves a diverse student body in DALLAS, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for David W Carter H S?
David W Carter H S has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (F) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.