Enrollment
1,936
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Desoto, TX
Desoto H S
Federal NCES profile for Desoto H S, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 68/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 481686001459
👥 S:T ratio 40
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 61
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Desoto H S earns 68/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. It is also one of the largest schools in Texas.
- #1 of 3
- high schools in Desoto · Resource Index
- 68
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15:1
- students per teacher
- 58.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Desoto H S has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Desoto H S ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Desoto, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
129.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+2% 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
What stands out at Desoto H S
Desoto H S is a higher-need, large high school in Desoto, Texas, enrolling 1,936 students.
At 15:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Texas median, within a few percentage points of the 14.7:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 58.0% lands close to the Texas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Texas, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,936 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Among 219 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #5, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (71%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 44/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 20 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 194 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Its district draws 21.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 897 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,936 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Desoto Isd also operates Curtistene S Mccowan Middle (643 students) and Katherine Johnson Technology Magnet Academy (536 students) alongside Desoto H S.
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 Desoto H S compares
Desoto H S on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15:1 | ▲ 2% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.0% | ▼ 6% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,936 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15:1
Leaner classes than 47% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,936
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
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
15:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 59% in Texas - lower ratio than 41% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Funding equity
$12,600
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
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
- 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
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.
Student-body diversity index 43.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.8, Desoto H S is about as mixed as the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 20
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Desoto Isd, which includes Desoto H S.
$12,600
Per student
-8%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Desoto H S Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curtistene S Mccowan Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Katherine Johnson Technology Magnet Academy | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Frank D Moates El | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cockrell Hill El | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Desoto West Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Desoto H S's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 643
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 536
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 468
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 397
- Students per teacher
- 10.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 370
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar high 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 (~1,936 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Desoto H S's federal record.
- Compare Desoto H S against another school. Compare schools
- Desoto 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 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 15:1, which is 2% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
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% of enrollment, in Desoto, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Desoto H S?
Desoto H S has a Resource Investment Index of 68/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Desoto H S rank among high schools in Desoto?
By Resource Investment Index, Desoto H S ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Desoto, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Desoto on the city page.
Is Desoto H S a good school?
Desoto H S earns 68/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. It is also one of the largest schools in Texas. 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 Desoto Isd?
Besides Desoto H S, Desoto Isd also operates Curtistene S Mccowan Middle (643 students), Katherine Johnson Technology Magnet Academy (536 students), and Frank D Moates El (468 students). See the Desoto 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.