Enrollment
758
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Richmond, TX
Don Carter El
Federal NCES profile for Don Carter El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 482658013552
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 72
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Don Carter El earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #2 of 30
- schools in Richmond · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.8:1
- students per teacher
- 31.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Don Carter El has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Don Carter El ranks #2 of 30 schools in Richmond, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
55.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
31.9%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
-48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Don Carter El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Don Carter El
Don Carter El is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Richmond, Texas, enrolling 758 students.
At 13.8:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 31.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 758 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Among 992 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #87, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (26%) and Asian (26%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 77/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 379 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
11.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Lamar Cisd spends $10,640 per pupil, 22% below the Texas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Lamar Cisd also operates Fulshear H S (3,401 students) and Dean Leaman J H School (2,888 students) alongside Don Carter 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 Don Carter El compares
Don Carter 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 | 13.8:1 | ▼ 6% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 31.9% | ▼ 48% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 758 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
758
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
31.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% 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
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 45% in Texas - lower ratio than 55% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
11.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$10,640
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 379 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.7 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
African American 26.3%
Asian 25.7%
Hispanic or Latino 22.3%
White 19.7%
Two or More 5.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 26.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 77.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 77.3, Don Carter El is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lamar Cisd, which includes Don Carter El.
$10,640
Per student
-22%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.5%
State 35.8%
Federal 11.8%
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 Don Carter El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fulshear H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dean Leaman J H School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Foster H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| George Ranch H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Briscoe J H | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Don Carter El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,401
- Students per teacher
- 29.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,888
- Students per teacher
- 29.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,747
- Students per teacher
- 24.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 2,337
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,003
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other 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 (~758 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Don Carter El's federal record.
- Compare Don Carter El against another school. Compare schools
- Lamar Cisd'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 Don Carter El
How many students attend Don Carter El?
Don Carter El has 758 students enrolled. It is a public school in Richmond, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Don Carter El?
The student-teacher ratio at Don Carter El is 13.8:1, which is 6% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 12% 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 Don Carter El?
31.9% of students at Don Carter El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Don Carter El?
The largest demographic group at Don Carter El is African American at 26.3% of enrollment, in Richmond, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 77.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Don Carter El?
Don Carter El has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (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 Don Carter El rank among schools in Richmond?
By Resource Investment Index, Don Carter El ranks #2 of 30 schools in Richmond, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Richmond on the city page.
Is Don Carter El a good school?
Don Carter El earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Lamar Cisd?
Besides Don Carter El, Lamar Cisd also operates Fulshear H S (3,401 students), Dean Leaman J H School (2,888 students), and Foster H S (2,747 students). See the Lamar Cisd 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.