Enrollment
74
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Ingram, TX
Hill Country Youth Ranch
Federal NCES profile for Hill Country Youth Ranch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 480022711321Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 70
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 33
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hill Country Youth Ranch earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% of Texas schools.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Ingram · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 7.4:1
- small classes for Texas
- 76.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Hill Country Youth Ranch has class sizes smaller than 97% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hill Country Youth Ranch ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Ingram, TX.
School address
District: Big Springs Charter School · Texas
NCES ID 480022711321 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.4:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-50% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
76.3%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hill Country Youth Ranch compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hill Country Youth Ranch
Hill Country Youth Ranch is a high-poverty, small charter combined-grade school in Ingram, Texas, enrolling 74 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 7.4:1, Hill Country Youth Ranch is leaner than roughly 97% of Texas schools and 50% under the state's 14.7:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 76.3% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 93% of Texas schools, with 74 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 144 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #101.
Its student body is led by White (53%) and Hispanic or Latino (38%) (diversity index 57/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Big Springs Charter School spends $19,163 per pupil, 40% above the Texas average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 24.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 16 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 74 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Its district, Big Springs Charter School, also runs Big Springs Charter School (101 students).
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 Hill Country Youth Ranch compares
Hill Country Youth Ranch on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 7.4:1 | ▼ 50% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 76.3% | ▲ 23% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 74 | top 93% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
7.4:1
Leaner classes than 96% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
74
Bigger than 8% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
76.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% 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
7.4:1
students per teacher
- 50% below state mean
Top 3% in Texas - lower ratio than 97% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
27.0%
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
$19,163
per pupil, district-wide
- above Texas avg of $13,644
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 21.6 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
White 52.7%
Hispanic or Latino 37.8%
African American 6.8%
Asian 1.4%
Two or More 1.4%
Largest group: White at 52.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.4, Hill Country Youth Ranch is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Big Springs Charter School, which includes Hill Country Youth Ranch.
$19,163
Per student
+40%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
+15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 0.7%
State 74.3%
Federal 24.9%
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 Hill Country Youth Ranch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Springs Charter School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hill Country Youth Ranch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 101
- Students per teacher
- 10.1:1
- 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 (~74 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~7.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hill Country Youth Ranch's federal record.
- Compare Hill Country Youth Ranch against another school. Compare schools
- Big Springs Charter School'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 Hill Country Youth Ranch
How many students attend Hill Country Youth Ranch?
Hill Country Youth Ranch has 74 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Ingram, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hill Country Youth Ranch?
The student-teacher ratio at Hill Country Youth Ranch is 7.4:1, which is 50% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 53% 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 Hill Country Youth Ranch?
76.3% of students at Hill Country Youth Ranch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hill Country Youth Ranch?
The largest demographic group at Hill Country Youth Ranch is White at 52.7% of enrollment, in Ingram, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hill Country Youth Ranch?
Hill Country Youth Ranch has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical 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 Hill Country Youth Ranch rank among public schools in Ingram?
By Resource Investment Index, Hill Country Youth Ranch ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Ingram, 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 Ingram on the city page.
Is Hill Country Youth Ranch a good school?
Hill Country Youth Ranch earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% 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 Big Springs Charter School?
Besides Hill Country Youth Ranch, Big Springs Charter School also operates Big Springs Charter School (101 students). See the Big Springs Charter School 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.