Enrollment
522
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Killeen, TX
Hay Branch El
Federal NCES profile for Hay Branch El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 482566006282
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hay Branch El earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #14 of 22
- schools in Killeen · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.4:1
- students per teacher
- 72.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Hay Branch El has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hay Branch El ranks #14 of 22 schools in Killeen, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.4:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
72.6%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hay Branch El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hay Branch El
Hay Branch El is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Killeen, Texas, enrolling 522 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 72.6% lands close to the Texas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 522 students, its enrollment sits close to the Texas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 1,937 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #1,112.
Its student body is led by African American (45%) and Hispanic or Latino (28%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 307 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Killeen Isd spends $10,648 per pupil, 22% below the Texas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 25.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 105 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 522 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Killeen Isd also operates Harker Heights H S (2,192 students) and Robert M Shoemaker H S (2,165 students) alongside Hay Branch 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 Hay Branch El compares
Hay Branch 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 | 13.4:1 | ▼ 9% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 72.6% | ▲ 17% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 522 | top 47% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.4:1
Leaner classes than 63% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
522
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
72.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% 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
13.4:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 39% in Texas - lower ratio than 61% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
40.4%
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
$10,648
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
Counselors1.7 FTE
Per 307 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
82
in-school suspensions + 23 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 15.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 20.1 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
African American 45.0%
Hispanic or Latino 27.6%
Two or More 14.4%
White 10.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.1%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 45.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.9, Hay Branch El is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Killeen Isd, which includes Hay Branch El.
$10,648
Per student
-22%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.6%
State 54.7%
Federal 25.7%
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 Hay Branch El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harker Heights H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Robert M Shoemaker H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Killeen H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chaparral H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| C E Ellison H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hay Branch El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,192
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 2,165
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 2,083
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 2,031
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 1,761
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
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 (~522 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hay Branch El's federal record.
- Compare Hay Branch El against another school. Compare schools
- Killeen 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 Hay Branch El
How many students attend Hay Branch El?
Hay Branch El has 522 students enrolled. It is a public school in Killeen, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hay Branch El?
The student-teacher ratio at Hay Branch El is 13.4:1, which is 9% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 15% 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 Hay Branch El?
72.6% of students at Hay Branch El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hay Branch El?
The largest demographic group at Hay Branch El is African American at 45.0% of enrollment, in Killeen, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hay Branch El?
Hay Branch El has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Hay Branch El rank among schools in Killeen?
By Resource Investment Index, Hay Branch El ranks #14 of 22 schools in Killeen, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Killeen on the city page.
Is Hay Branch El a good school?
Hay Branch El earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Killeen Isd?
Besides Hay Branch El, Killeen Isd also operates Harker Heights H S (2,192 students), Robert M Shoemaker H S (2,165 students), and Killeen H S (2,083 students). See the Killeen 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.