Enrollment
563
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Garland, TX
Handley Stem El
Federal NCES profile for Handley Stem El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 0/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 482034022817
👥 S:T ratio 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Handley Stem El earns 0/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of Texas schools.
- #12 of 12
- elementary schools in Garland · Resource Index
- 0
- Resource Index · Lower
- 93.8:1
- large classes for Texas
- 83.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Handley Stem El has class sizes larger than 99% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Handley Stem El ranks #12 of 12 elementary schools in Garland, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
6.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
93.8:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+538% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
83.2%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Handley Stem El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Handley Stem El
Handley Stem El is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Garland, Texas, enrolling 563 students.
Class loads run heavy: 93.8:1 is larger than about 99% of Texas schools and 538% above the 14.7:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 83.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 563 students, its enrollment sits close to the Texas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 100% of the 8,960 Texas schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 2,326 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #2,319, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (71%) and African American (19%) (diversity index 46/100).
Its district draws 18.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Garland Isd also operates Sachse H S (2,935 students) and N Garland H S (2,929 students) alongside Handley Stem El.
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 Handley Stem El compares
Handley Stem El on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 93.8:1 | ▲ 538% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 83.2% | ▲ 34% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 563 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
93.8:1
Leaner classes than 0% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
563
Bigger than 69% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
83.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% 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
93.8:1
students per teacher
- 538% above state mean
Top 99% in Texas - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Funding equity
$11,092
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.
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 70.5%
African American 19.4%
Two or More 5.3%
White 2.8%
Asian 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 70.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.2, Handley Stem El is about as mixed as the Texas school average of 44.7.
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Garland Isd, which includes Handley Stem El.
$11,092
Per student
-19%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.7%
State 37.7%
Federal 18.6%
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 Handley Stem El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sachse H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| N Garland H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Garland H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Rowlett H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lakeview Centennial H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Handley Stem El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,935
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,929
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,335
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 2,156
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,073
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar elementary 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 (~563 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Handley Stem El's federal record.
- Compare Handley Stem El against another school. Compare schools
- Garland 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 Handley Stem El
How many students attend Handley Stem El?
Handley Stem El has 563 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Garland, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Handley Stem El?
The student-teacher ratio at Handley Stem El is 93.8:1, which is 538% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 497% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Handley Stem El?
83.2% of students at Handley Stem El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Handley Stem El?
The largest demographic group at Handley Stem El is Hispanic or Latino at 70.5% of enrollment, in Garland, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Handley Stem El?
Handley Stem El has a Resource Investment Index of 0/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 1 factor: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Handley Stem El rank among elementary schools in Garland?
By Resource Investment Index, Handley Stem El ranks #12 of 12 elementary schools in Garland, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Garland on the city page.
Is Handley Stem El a good school?
Handley Stem El earns 0/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% 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 Garland Isd?
Besides Handley Stem El, Garland Isd also operates Sachse H S (2,935 students), N Garland H S (2,929 students), and Garland H S (2,335 students). See the Garland 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.