Enrollment
553
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Donna, TX
Dora M Sauceda Middle
Federal NCES profile for Dora M Sauceda Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 481739010816
👥 S:T ratio 57
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dora M Sauceda Middle earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% of Texas schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #2 of 4
- middle schools in Donna · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.8:1
- small classes for Texas
- 98.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Dora M Sauceda Middle has class sizes smaller than 86% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dora M Sauceda Middle ranks #2 of 4 middle schools in Donna, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
51.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.8:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
98.9%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+60% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dora M Sauceda Middle compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dora M Sauceda Middle
Dora M Sauceda Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Donna, Texas, enrolling 553 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.8:1, Dora M Sauceda Middle is leaner than roughly 86% of Texas schools and 27% under the state's 14.7:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 98.9% of students qualify for free meals, 60% above the Texas average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 553 students, its enrollment sits close to the Texas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 1,290 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #302.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (100% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 1/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 277 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 58.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 28.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 219 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 553 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Donna Isd also operates Donna H S (1,992 students) and Donna North H S (1,974 students) alongside Dora M Sauceda Middle.
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 Dora M Sauceda Middle compares
Dora M Sauceda Middle on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.8:1 | ▼ 27% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 98.9% | ▲ 60% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 553 | top 43% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.8:1
Leaner classes than 84% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
553
Bigger than 68% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
98.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 60% above the Texas average of 61.9%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
10.8:1
students per teacher
- 27% below state mean
Top 14% in Texas - lower ratio than 86% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
58.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,771
per pupil, district-wide
- above Texas avg of $13,644
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 277 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
151
in-school suspensions + 68 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 27.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 39.6 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
Hispanic or Latino 99.6%
White 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 99.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 0.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 0.8, Dora M Sauceda Middle is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Donna Isd, which includes Dora M Sauceda Middle.
$13,771
Per student
+1%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.1%
State 58.9%
Federal 28.0%
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 Dora M Sauceda Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donna H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Donna North H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Veterans Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Maria Alicia P Munoz El | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| W a Todd Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dora M Sauceda Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,992
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 1,974
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 866
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 688
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 670
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar middle 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 (~553 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dora M Sauceda Middle's federal record.
- Compare Dora M Sauceda Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Donna 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 Dora M Sauceda Middle
How many students attend Dora M Sauceda Middle?
Dora M Sauceda Middle has 553 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Donna, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dora M Sauceda Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Dora M Sauceda Middle is 10.8:1, which is 27% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 31% 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 Dora M Sauceda Middle?
98.9% of students at Dora M Sauceda Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dora M Sauceda Middle?
The largest demographic group at Dora M Sauceda Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 99.6% of enrollment, in Donna, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dora M Sauceda Middle?
Dora M Sauceda Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical 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 Dora M Sauceda Middle rank among middle schools in Donna?
By Resource Investment Index, Dora M Sauceda Middle ranks #2 of 4 middle schools in Donna, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Donna on the city page.
Is Dora M Sauceda Middle a good school?
Dora M Sauceda Middle earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% of Texas schools. It is also less 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 Donna Isd?
Besides Dora M Sauceda Middle, Donna Isd also operates Donna H S (1,992 students), Donna North H S (1,974 students), and Veterans Middle (866 students). See the Donna 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.