Enrollment
425
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Sinton, TX
E Merle Smith Middle
Federal NCES profile for E Merle Smith Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 484035004572
👥 S:T ratio 58
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 13
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
E Merle Smith Middle earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 87% of Texas schools.
- #4 of 5
- public schools in Sinton · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.6:1
- small classes for Texas
- 69.6%
- free-lunch eligible
E Merle Smith Middle has class sizes smaller than 87% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, E Merle Smith Middle ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Sinton, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.6:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
69.6%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How E Merle Smith Middle compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at E Merle Smith Middle
E Merle Smith Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Sinton, Texas, enrolling 425 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.6:1, E Merle Smith Middle is leaner than roughly 87% of Texas schools and 28% under the state's 14.7:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 69.6% lands close to the Texas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 425 students, its enrollment sits close to the Texas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Among 1,504 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #1,215, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 30/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 850 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Sinton Isd also operates Sinton H S (547 students) and Welder El (520 students) alongside E Merle Smith 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 E Merle Smith Middle compares
E Merle Smith 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 | 10.6:1 | ▼ 28% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 69.6% | ▲ 12% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 425 | top 61% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.6:1
Leaner classes than 85% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
425
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
69.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 12% above the Texas average of 61.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
10.6:1
students per teacher
- 28% below state mean
Top 13% in Texas - lower ratio than 87% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
34.8%
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
$12,559
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
69
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 16.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.5 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 82.1%
White 15.8%
African American 1.4%
Two or More 0.5%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 82.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.1, E Merle Smith Middle is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sinton Isd, which includes E Merle Smith Middle.
$12,559
Per student
-8%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.6%
State 34.0%
Federal 16.5%
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 E Merle Smith Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sinton H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Welder El | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sinton El | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Juvenile Detention Ctr | Smaller | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to E Merle Smith Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 547
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 520
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 458
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 11
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 30/100
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 (~425 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on E Merle Smith Middle's federal record.
- Compare E Merle Smith Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Sinton 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 E Merle Smith Middle
How many students attend E Merle Smith Middle?
E Merle Smith Middle has 425 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Sinton, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at E Merle Smith Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at E Merle Smith Middle is 10.6:1, which is 28% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 32% 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 E Merle Smith Middle?
69.6% of students at E Merle Smith Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of E Merle Smith Middle?
The largest demographic group at E Merle Smith Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 82.1% of enrollment, in Sinton, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for E Merle Smith Middle?
E Merle Smith Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 E Merle Smith Middle rank among public schools in Sinton?
By Resource Investment Index, E Merle Smith Middle ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Sinton, 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 Sinton on the city page.
Is E Merle Smith Middle a good school?
E Merle Smith Middle earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 87% of 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 Sinton Isd?
Besides E Merle Smith Middle, Sinton Isd also operates Sinton H S (547 students), Welder El (520 students), and Sinton El (458 students). See the Sinton 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.