Enrollment
480
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Mesquite, TX
Founders Classical Academy of Mesquite
Federal NCES profile for Founders Classical Academy of Mesquite, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 480016313327Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 61
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Founders Classical Academy of Mesquite earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 91% of Texas schools.
- #30 of 31
- schools in Mesquite · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 9.8:1
- small classes for Texas
- 72.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Founders Classical Academy of Mesquite has class sizes smaller than 91% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Founders Classical Academy of Mesquite ranks #30 of 31 schools in Mesquite, TX.
School address
District: Texas College Preparatory Academies · Texas
NCES ID 480016313327 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.8:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-33% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
72.1%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Founders Classical Academy of Mesquite compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Founders Classical Academy of Mesquite
Founders Classical Academy of Mesquite is a higher-need, mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Mesquite, Texas, enrolling 480 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9.8:1, Founders Classical Academy of Mesquite is leaner than roughly 91% of Texas schools and 33% under the state's 14.7:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 72.1% lands close to the Texas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 480 students, its enrollment sits close to the Texas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 8,960 Texas schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,796 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #1,611, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (74%) and African American (13%) (diversity index 42/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 46.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Texas College Preparatory Academies spends $8,504 per pupil, 38% below the Texas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Texas College Preparatory Academies also operates Founders Classical Academy - Frisco (1,013 students) and Founders Classical Academy of Flower Mound (949 students) alongside Founders Classical Academy of Mesquite.
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 Founders Classical Academy of Mesquite compares
Founders Classical Academy of Mesquite on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 9.8:1 | ▼ 33% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 72.1% | ▲ 16% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 480 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.8:1
Leaner classes than 90% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
480
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
72.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 16% 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
9.8:1
students per teacher
- 33% below state mean
Top 9% in Texas - lower ratio than 91% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
46.7%
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
$8,504
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 58 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.1 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 74.2%
African American 12.9%
White 8.5%
Two or More 3.1%
Asian 1.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 74.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.4, Founders Classical Academy of Mesquite is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Texas College Preparatory Academies, which includes Founders Classical Academy of Mesquite.
$8,504
Per student
-38%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-49%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 1.1%
State 95.4%
Federal 3.6%
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 Founders Classical Academy of Mesquite Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Founders Classical Academy - Frisco | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Founders Classical Academy of Flower Mound | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Founders Classical Academy of Prosper | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Founders Classical Academy - Conroe | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Founders Classical Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Founders Classical Academy of Mesquite's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,013
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 949
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 929
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 921
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 912
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
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 (~480 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~9.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Founders Classical Academy of Mesquite's federal record.
- Compare Founders Classical Academy of Mesquite against another school. Compare schools
- Texas College Preparatory Academies'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 Founders Classical Academy of Mesquite
How many students attend Founders Classical Academy of Mesquite?
Founders Classical Academy of Mesquite has 480 students enrolled. It is a public school in Mesquite, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Founders Classical Academy of Mesquite?
The student-teacher ratio at Founders Classical Academy of Mesquite is 9.8:1, which is 33% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 38% 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 Founders Classical Academy of Mesquite?
72.1% of students at Founders Classical Academy of Mesquite are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Founders Classical Academy of Mesquite?
The largest demographic group at Founders Classical Academy of Mesquite is Hispanic or Latino at 74.2% of enrollment, in Mesquite, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Founders Classical Academy of Mesquite?
Founders Classical Academy of Mesquite has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Founders Classical Academy of Mesquite rank among schools in Mesquite?
By Resource Investment Index, Founders Classical Academy of Mesquite ranks #30 of 31 schools in Mesquite, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Mesquite on the city page.
Is Founders Classical Academy of Mesquite a good school?
Founders Classical Academy of Mesquite earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 91% 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 Texas College Preparatory Academies?
Besides Founders Classical Academy of Mesquite, Texas College Preparatory Academies also operates Founders Classical Academy - Frisco (1,013 students), Founders Classical Academy of Flower Mound (949 students), and Founders Classical Academy of Prosper (929 students). See the Texas College Preparatory Academies 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.