Enrollment
143
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Plano, TX
Head Start
Federal NCES profile for Head Start, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 483510010511
👥 S:T ratio 18
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 71
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Head Start earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Texas schools.
- #19 of 21
- schools in Plano · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.4:1
- large classes for Texas
- 97.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Head Start has class sizes larger than 93% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Head Start ranks #19 of 21 schools in Plano, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
7.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.4:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+39% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
97.9%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+58% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Head Start compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Head Start
Head Start is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Plano, Texas, enrolling 143 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20.4:1 is larger than about 93% of Texas schools and 39% above the 14.7:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 97.9% of students qualify for free meals, 58% above the Texas average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 143 puts it in the smaller third of Texas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 142 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #92.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (69%) and African American (16%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 143 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Plano Isd also operates Plano East Sr H S (3,033 students) and Plano West Senior H S (2,559 students) alongside Head Start.
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 Head Start compares
Head Start on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.4:1 | ▲ 39% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 97.9% | ▲ 58% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 143 | top 89% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.4:1
Leaner classes than 15% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
143
Bigger than 14% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
97.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 58% above the Texas average of 61.9%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
20.4:1
students per teacher
- 39% above state mean
Top 93% in Texas - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Funding equity
$11,203
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 143 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 68.5%
African American 16.1%
White 11.2%
Asian 2.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Two or More 0.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 68.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.1, Head Start is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Plano Isd, which includes Head Start.
$11,203
Per student
-18%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 80.7%
State 7.3%
Federal 12.0%
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 Head Start Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plano East Sr H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Plano West Senior H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Plano Sr H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Shepton H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jasper H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Head Start's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,033
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,559
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 2,267
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,360
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,301
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
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 (~143 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Head Start's federal record.
- Compare Head Start against another school. Compare schools
- Plano 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 Head Start
How many students attend Head Start?
Head Start has 143 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Plano, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Head Start?
The student-teacher ratio at Head Start is 20.4:1, which is 39% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 30% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Head Start?
97.9% of students at Head Start are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Head Start?
The largest demographic group at Head Start is Hispanic or Latino at 68.5% of enrollment, in Plano, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Head Start?
Head Start has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Head Start rank among schools in Plano?
By Resource Investment Index, Head Start ranks #19 of 21 schools in Plano, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Plano on the city page.
Is Head Start a good school?
Head Start earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% 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 Plano Isd?
Besides Head Start, Plano Isd also operates Plano East Sr H S (3,033 students), Plano West Senior H S (2,559 students), and Plano Sr H S (2,267 students). See the Plano 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.