Enrollment
1,936
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 481686001459
Desoto H S — Desoto, TX
Federal NCES profile for Desoto H S, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 66/100.
👥 Class size 31
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 61
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: Desoto 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)
129.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.2:1
vs 14.6:1 Texas avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.0%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
-6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Desoto 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
Desoto H S reports 1,936 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 129.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 17.2:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 18% 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 8% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 58.0% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 6% below the Texas average and 12% above the national baseline. The school offers 20 Advanced Placement courses, a stronger academic pipeline indicator than enrollment alone. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 194 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1.
On the finance side, the surrounding Desoto Isd spends $13,420 per pupil district-wide, below the Texas average of $17,150 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 49.2% from local sources (property taxes), 29.0% from the state, and 21.8% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 66/100 (B-), calculated from 4 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 Desoto 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 | 17.2:1 | ▲ 18% | 14.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.0% | ▼ 6% | 61.9% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 1,936 | top 96% | — | — |
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
58.0%
free-lunch eligible
— 6% below the Texas average of 61.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.2:1
students per teacher
— 18% above state mean
Top 85% in Texas — lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$13,420
per pupil, district-wide
— below Texas avg of $17,150
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors10.0 FTE
Per 194 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
294
in-school suspensions + 603 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 15.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 46.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
Overview
Enrollment 1,936 Top 96% in Texas — larger than 4% of 9,061 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 129.0
Students per teacher 17.2:1 +18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 58.0% -6% vs state
NCES ID 481686001459
Student demographics
African American 71.1%
Hispanic or Latino 23.5%
Two or More 2.8%
White 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 71.1% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 20
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 10.0
Students per counselor 194:1
Discipline & special education
In-school suspensions 294
Out-of-school suspensions 603
Expulsions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Desoto Isd, which includes Desoto H S.
$13,420
Per student
-22%
vs Texas
Avg $17,150
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 49.2%
State 29.0%
Federal 21.8%
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
- 643
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Enrollment
- 536
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Enrollment
- 468
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Enrollment
- 397
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Enrollment
- 370
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
Similar high schools in Desoto
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) 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 Desoto H S
How many students attend Desoto H S?
Desoto H S has 1,936 students enrolled. It is a high school in DESOTO, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Desoto H S?
The student-teacher ratio at Desoto H S is 17.2:1, which is 18% higher than the Texas average of 14.6:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Desoto H S?
58.0% of students at Desoto H S are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Desoto H S?
The largest demographic group at Desoto H S is African American at 71.1%. The school serves a diverse student body in DESOTO, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Desoto H S?
Desoto H S has a Resource Investment Index of 66/100 (B-) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.