Enrollment
601
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Penitas, TX
Dr Javier Saenz Middle
Federal NCES profile for Dr Javier Saenz Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 482613010826
👥 S:T ratio 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 60
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dr Javier Saenz Middle earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of Texas schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Penitas · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.3:1
- small classes for Texas
- 97.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Dr Javier Saenz Middle has class sizes smaller than 82% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dr Javier Saenz Middle ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Penitas, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
53.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.3:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
97.7%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+58% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dr Javier Saenz Middle compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dr Javier Saenz Middle
Dr Javier Saenz Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Penitas, Texas, enrolling 601 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 97.7% of students qualify for free meals, 58% above the Texas average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 601 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 1,375 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #157.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (100% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 0/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 200 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 60.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 31.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 162 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 601 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 9 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
La Joya Isd also operates La Joya H S (2,405 students) and La Joya Palmview H S (2,073 students) alongside Dr Javier Saenz 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 Dr Javier Saenz Middle compares
Dr Javier Saenz 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 | 11.3:1 | ▼ 23% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 97.7% | ▲ 58% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 601 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.3:1
Leaner classes than 81% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
601
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
97.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 58% 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
11.3:1
students per teacher
- 23% below state mean
Top 18% in Texas - lower ratio than 82% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
60.4%
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
$15,142
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 200 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
82
in-school suspensions + 80 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 27.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 9 expulsions.
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 99.8%
White 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 99.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 0.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 0.4, Dr Javier Saenz Middle is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for La Joya Isd, which includes Dr Javier Saenz Middle.
$15,142
Per student
+11%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 10.3%
State 58.1%
Federal 31.6%
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.
How Dr Javier Saenz Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Joya H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| La Joya Palmview H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Juarez-Lincoln H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Enrique Kiki Camarena El | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| John F Kennedy El | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dr Javier Saenz Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,405
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 2,073
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 1,952
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
- Enrollment
- 715
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 676
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
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 (~601 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dr Javier Saenz Middle's federal record.
- Compare Dr Javier Saenz Middle against another school. Compare schools
- La Joya 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 Dr Javier Saenz Middle
How many students attend Dr Javier Saenz Middle?
Dr Javier Saenz Middle has 601 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Penitas, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dr Javier Saenz Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Dr Javier Saenz Middle is 11.3:1, which is 23% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 28% 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 Dr Javier Saenz Middle?
97.7% of students at Dr Javier Saenz Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dr Javier Saenz Middle?
The largest demographic group at Dr Javier Saenz Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 99.8% of enrollment, in Penitas, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dr Javier Saenz Middle?
Dr Javier Saenz Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Dr Javier Saenz Middle rank among public schools in Penitas?
By Resource Investment Index, Dr Javier Saenz Middle ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Penitas, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Penitas on the city page.
Is Dr Javier Saenz Middle a good school?
Dr Javier Saenz Middle earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% 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 La Joya Isd?
Besides Dr Javier Saenz Middle, La Joya Isd also operates La Joya H S (2,405 students), La Joya Palmview H S (2,073 students), and Juarez-Lincoln H S (1,952 students). See the La Joya 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.