Enrollment
2,019
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Harlingen, TX
Harlingen H S - South
Federal NCES profile for Harlingen H S - South, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 59/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 482253006267
👥 S:T ratio 26
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 56
📋 Attendance 43
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Harlingen H S - South earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Texas schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Texas.
- #3 of 5
- high schools in Harlingen · Resource Index
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 18.4:1
- large classes for Texas
- 73.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Harlingen H S - South has class sizes larger than 88% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Harlingen H S - South ranks #3 of 5 high schools in Harlingen, TX.
School address
District: Harlingen Cisd · Texas
NCES ID 482253006267 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
110.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.4:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
73.1%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Harlingen H S - South compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Harlingen H S - South
Harlingen H S - South is a higher-need, large high school in Harlingen, Texas, enrolling 2,019 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.4:1 is larger than about 88% of Texas schools and 25% 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 73.1% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Texas, bigger than 96% of state schools at 2,019 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 208 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #32.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (96% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 8/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 22 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 222 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 25.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 69 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Harlingen Cisd also operates Harlingen H S (2,433 students) and Dr Abraham P Cano Freshman Academy (1,188 students) alongside Harlingen H S - South.
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 Harlingen H S - South compares
Harlingen H S - South on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.4:1 | ▲ 25% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 73.1% | ▲ 18% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,019 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.4:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,019
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
73.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% 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
18.4:1
students per teacher
- 25% above state mean
Top 88% in Texas - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
22.7%
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
$12,718
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
Counselors9.1 FTE
Per 222 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
158
in-school suspensions + 80 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 69 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 95.7%
White 3.4%
African American 0.4%
Two or More 0.2%
Asian 0.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 95.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 8.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 8.3, Harlingen H S - South is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 22
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Harlingen Cisd, which includes Harlingen H S - South.
$12,718
Per student
-7%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.8%
State 52.6%
Federal 25.6%
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 Harlingen H S - South Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harlingen H S | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dr Abraham P Cano Freshman Academy | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Moises Vela Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Treasure Hills El | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Gutierrez Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Harlingen H S - South's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,433
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,188
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 761
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 758
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 747
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar high 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 (~2,019 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Harlingen H S - South's federal record.
- Compare Harlingen H S - South against another school. Compare schools
- Harlingen Cisd'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 Harlingen H S - South
How many students attend Harlingen H S - South?
Harlingen H S - South has 2,019 students enrolled. It is a high school in Harlingen, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Harlingen H S - South?
The student-teacher ratio at Harlingen H S - South is 18.4:1, which is 25% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Harlingen H S - South?
73.1% of students at Harlingen H S - South are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Harlingen H S - South?
The largest demographic group at Harlingen H S - South is Hispanic or Latino at 95.7% of enrollment, in Harlingen, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Harlingen H S - South?
Harlingen H S - South has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Harlingen H S - South rank among high schools in Harlingen?
By Resource Investment Index, Harlingen H S - South ranks #3 of 5 high schools in Harlingen, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Harlingen on the city page.
Is Harlingen H S - South a good school?
Harlingen H S - South earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Texas schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Texas. 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 Harlingen Cisd?
Besides Harlingen H S - South, Harlingen Cisd also operates Harlingen H S (2,433 students), Dr Abraham P Cano Freshman Academy (1,188 students), and Moises Vela Middle (761 students). See the Harlingen Cisd 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.