Enrollment
966
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Houston, TX
Garcia Middle
Federal NCES profile for Garcia Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 480771012191
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 57
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Garcia Middle earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median.
- #51 of 116
- middle schools in Houston · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.1:1
- students per teacher
- 87.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Garcia Middle has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Garcia Middle ranks #51 of 116 middle schools in Houston, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
64.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.1:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
87.1%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Garcia Middle compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Garcia Middle
Garcia Middle is a high-poverty, large middle school in Houston, Texas, enrolling 966 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 87.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 966 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 1,059 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #294.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (75%) and African American (20%) (diversity index 40/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 215 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 50.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 23.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 392 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 966 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Aldine Isd also operates Macarthur H S (3,501 students) and Davis H S Aldine (3,184 students) alongside Garcia 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 Garcia Middle compares
Garcia 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 | 15.1:1 | ▲ 3% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 87.1% | ▲ 41% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 966 | top 12% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.1:1
Leaner classes than 46% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
966
Bigger than 90% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
87.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% 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
15.1:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 61% in Texas - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
50.3%
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
$11,863
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
Counselors4.5 FTE
Per 215 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
212
in-school suspensions + 180 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 21.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 40.6 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 74.7%
African American 19.8%
White 2.2%
Asian 2.2%
Two or More 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 74.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.2, Garcia Middle is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Aldine Isd, which includes Garcia Middle.
$11,863
Per student
-13%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.7%
State 42.7%
Federal 23.6%
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 Garcia Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Macarthur H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Davis H S Aldine | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Nimitz H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Aldine H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eisenhower H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Garcia Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,501
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 3,184
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 2,651
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 2,481
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 2,262
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
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 (~966 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Garcia Middle's federal record.
- Compare Garcia Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Aldine 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 Garcia Middle
How many students attend Garcia Middle?
Garcia Middle has 966 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Houston, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Garcia Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Garcia Middle is 15.1:1, which is 3% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Garcia Middle?
87.1% of students at Garcia Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Garcia Middle?
The largest demographic group at Garcia Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 74.7% of enrollment, in Houston, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Garcia Middle?
Garcia Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Garcia Middle rank among middle schools in Houston?
By Resource Investment Index, Garcia Middle ranks #51 of 116 middle schools in Houston, 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 Houston on the city page.
Is Garcia Middle a good school?
Garcia Middle earns 42/100 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 Aldine Isd?
Besides Garcia Middle, Aldine Isd also operates Macarthur H S (3,501 students), Davis H S Aldine (3,184 students), and Nimitz H S (2,651 students). See the Aldine 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.