Enrollment
501
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Houston, TX
Helms El
Federal NCES profile for Helms El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 482364002484
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 60
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Helms El earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Texas schools.
- #38 of 435
- schools in Houston · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.9:1
- large classes for Texas
- 54.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Helms El has class sizes larger than 86% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Helms El ranks #38 of 435 schools in Houston, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.9:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.2%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
-12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Helms El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Helms El
Helms El is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Houston, Texas, enrolling 501 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.9:1 is larger than about 86% of Texas schools and 22% above the 14.7:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 54.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 501 students, its enrollment sits close to the Texas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 1,397 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #166.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (76%) and White (14%) (diversity index 39/100).
16.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 23.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Houston Isd also operates Texas Connections Academy at Houston (8,641 students) and Bellaire H S (3,216 students) alongside Helms 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 Helms El compares
Helms 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 | 17.9:1 | ▲ 22% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.2% | ▼ 12% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 501 | top 50% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.9:1
Leaner classes than 25% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
501
Bigger than 62% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
54.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 12% below the Texas average of 61.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.9:1
students per teacher
- 22% above state mean
Top 86% in Texas - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
16.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,031
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 76.4%
White 14.4%
African American 4.4%
Two or More 2.6%
Asian 2.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 76.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.2, Helms El is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Houston Isd, which includes Helms El.
$12,031
Per student
-12%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 68.8%
State 8.0%
Federal 23.2%
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 Helms El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Connections Academy at Houston | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bellaire H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lamar H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Westside H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Heights H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Helms El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 8,641
- Students per teacher
- 28:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 3,216
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,968
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 2,729
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 2,426
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
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 (~501 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Helms El's federal record.
- Compare Helms El against another school. Compare schools
- Houston 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 Helms El
How many students attend Helms El?
Helms El has 501 students enrolled. It is a public school in Houston, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Helms El?
The student-teacher ratio at Helms El is 17.9:1, which is 22% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 14% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Helms El?
54.2% of students at Helms El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Helms El?
The largest demographic group at Helms El is Hispanic or Latino at 76.4% of enrollment, in Houston, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Helms El?
Helms El has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Helms El rank among schools in Houston?
By Resource Investment Index, Helms El ranks #38 of 435 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 schools in Houston on the city page.
Is Helms El a good school?
Helms El earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% 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 Houston Isd?
Besides Helms El, Houston Isd also operates Texas Connections Academy at Houston (8,641 students), Bellaire H S (3,216 students), and Lamar H S (2,968 students). See the Houston 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.