Enrollment
658
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Ferris, TX
Ferris J H
Federal NCES profile for Ferris J H, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 481917001787
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ferris J H earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median.
- #2 of 5
- public schools in Ferris · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.6:1
- students per teacher
- 76.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Ferris J H has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ferris J H ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Ferris, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
76.4%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ferris J H compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ferris J H
Ferris J H is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Ferris, Texas, enrolling 658 students.
At 14.6:1, 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 above the state's typical profile, with 76.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 658 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 2,103 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #68, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (71%) and White (15%) (diversity index 46/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 282 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
16.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Ferris Isd also operates Ferris H S (940 students) and Lucy Mae Mcdonald El (641 students) alongside Ferris J H.
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 Ferris J H compares
Ferris J H on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.6:1 | ▼ 1% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 76.4% | ▲ 23% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 658 | top 31% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.6:1
Leaner classes than 51% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
658
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
76.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% 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
14.6:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 55% in Texas - lower ratio than 45% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,920
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
Counselors2.3 FTE
Per 282 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
38
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 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 70.8%
White 15.3%
African American 11.7%
Two or More 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 70.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.1, Ferris J H is about as mixed as the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ferris Isd, which includes Ferris J H.
$12,920
Per student
-5%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.2%
State 62.5%
Federal 14.4%
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 Ferris J H Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ferris H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lucy Mae Mcdonald El | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lee Longino El | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hazel Ingram El | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ellis County Jjaep | Smaller | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Ferris J H's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 940
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 641
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 436
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 335
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 3
- Students per teacher
- -
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 (~658 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ferris J H's federal record.
- Compare Ferris J H against another school. Compare schools
- Ferris 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 Ferris J H
How many students attend Ferris J H?
Ferris J H has 658 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Ferris, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ferris J H?
The student-teacher ratio at Ferris J H is 14.6:1, which is 1% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 7% 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 Ferris J H?
76.4% of students at Ferris J H are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ferris J H?
The largest demographic group at Ferris J H is Hispanic or Latino at 70.8% of enrollment, in Ferris, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ferris J H?
Ferris J H 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 Ferris J H rank among public schools in Ferris?
By Resource Investment Index, Ferris J H ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Ferris, 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 Ferris on the city page.
Is Ferris J H a good school?
Ferris J H earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. 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 Ferris Isd?
Besides Ferris J H, Ferris Isd also operates Ferris H S (940 students), Lucy Mae Mcdonald El (641 students), and Lee Longino El (436 students). See the Ferris 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.