Enrollment
322
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Hereford, TX
Hereford Preparatory Academy
Federal NCES profile for Hereford Preparatory Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 482301012851
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hereford Preparatory Academy earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #4 of 9
- public schools in Hereford · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.6:1
- students per teacher
- 79.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Hereford Preparatory Academy has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hereford Preparatory Academy ranks #4 of 9 public schools in Hereford, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
79.6%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hereford Preparatory Academy compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hereford Preparatory Academy
Hereford Preparatory Academy is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Hereford, Texas, enrolling 322 students.
At 14.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Texas median, within a few percentage points of the 14.7:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 79.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 322 puts it in the smaller third of Texas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 1,186 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #641.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (92% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 16/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 322 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Hereford Isd spends $10,647 per pupil, 22% below the Texas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 18.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Hereford Isd also operates Hereford H S (1,182 students) and Hereford J H (534 students) alongside Hereford Preparatory Academy.
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 Hereford Preparatory Academy compares
Hereford Preparatory Academy on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.6:1 | ▼ 1% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 79.6% | ▲ 29% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 322 | top 73% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.6:1
Leaner classes than 51% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
322
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
79.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 29% 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
14.6:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 55% in Texas - lower ratio than 45% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
31.7%
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
$10,647
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 322 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
62
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 19.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.3 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 91.6%
White 6.5%
Asian 1.2%
African American 0.3%
Two or More 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 91.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 15.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 15.7, Hereford Preparatory Academy is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hereford Isd, which includes Hereford Preparatory Academy.
$10,647
Per student
-22%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.6%
State 42.7%
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 Hereford Preparatory Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hereford H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hereford J H | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northwest El | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Aikman El | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bluebonnet El | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hereford Preparatory Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,182
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 534
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 479
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 464
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 366
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar middle 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 (~322 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hereford Preparatory Academy's federal record.
- Compare Hereford Preparatory Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Hereford 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 Hereford Preparatory Academy
How many students attend Hereford Preparatory Academy?
Hereford Preparatory Academy has 322 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Hereford, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hereford Preparatory Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Hereford Preparatory Academy is 14.6:1, which is 1% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 7% 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 Hereford Preparatory Academy?
79.6% of students at Hereford Preparatory Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hereford Preparatory Academy?
The largest demographic group at Hereford Preparatory Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 91.6% of enrollment, in Hereford, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hereford Preparatory Academy?
Hereford Preparatory Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Hereford Preparatory Academy rank among public schools in Hereford?
By Resource Investment Index, Hereford Preparatory Academy ranks #4 of 9 public schools in Hereford, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Hereford on the city page.
Is Hereford Preparatory Academy a good school?
Hereford Preparatory Academy earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. It is also less 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 Hereford Isd?
Besides Hereford Preparatory Academy, Hereford Isd also operates Hereford H S (1,182 students), Hereford J H (534 students), and Northwest El (479 students). See the Hereford 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.