Enrollment
431
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Waco, TX
Hillcrest Pds Magnet
Federal NCES profile for Hillcrest Pds Magnet, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 484428005048
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 14
📋 Attendance 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hillcrest Pds Magnet earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median.
- #19 of 32
- schools in Waco · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.4:1
- students per teacher
- 63.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Hillcrest Pds Magnet has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hillcrest Pds Magnet ranks #19 of 32 schools in Waco, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
63.4%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hillcrest Pds Magnet compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hillcrest Pds Magnet
Hillcrest Pds Magnet is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Waco, Texas, enrolling 431 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 63.4% lands close to the Texas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 431 students, its enrollment sits close to the Texas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 1,373 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #608.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (56%) and White (24%) (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 431 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
16.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 19.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Waco Isd also operates Waco H S (1,885 students) and University H S (1,752 students) alongside Hillcrest Pds Magnet.
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 Hillcrest Pds Magnet compares
Hillcrest Pds Magnet on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.4:1 | ▲ 5% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 63.4% | ▲ 2% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 431 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
431
Bigger than 52% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
63.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% 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
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 64% in Texas - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,294
per pupil, district-wide
- below Texas avg of $13,644
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 431 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
19
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.9 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 56.4%
White 23.7%
African American 14.4%
Two or More 4.9%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 56.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.3, Hillcrest Pds Magnet is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waco Isd, which includes Hillcrest Pds Magnet.
$13,294
Per student
-3%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 46.6%
State 33.9%
Federal 19.5%
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 Hillcrest Pds Magnet Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waco H S | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| University H S | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tennyson Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bell's Hill El | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cesar Chavez Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hillcrest Pds Magnet's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,885
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 1,752
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 963
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 786
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 786
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
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 (~431 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hillcrest Pds Magnet's federal record.
- Compare Hillcrest Pds Magnet against another school. Compare schools
- Waco 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 Hillcrest Pds Magnet
How many students attend Hillcrest Pds Magnet?
Hillcrest Pds Magnet has 431 students enrolled. It is a public school in Waco, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hillcrest Pds Magnet?
The student-teacher ratio at Hillcrest Pds Magnet is 15.4:1, which is 5% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 2% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hillcrest Pds Magnet?
63.4% of students at Hillcrest Pds Magnet are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hillcrest Pds Magnet?
The largest demographic group at Hillcrest Pds Magnet is Hispanic or Latino at 56.4% of enrollment, in Waco, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hillcrest Pds Magnet?
Hillcrest Pds Magnet has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Hillcrest Pds Magnet rank among schools in Waco?
By Resource Investment Index, Hillcrest Pds Magnet ranks #19 of 32 schools in Waco, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Waco on the city page.
Is Hillcrest Pds Magnet a good school?
Hillcrest Pds Magnet earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. 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 Waco Isd?
Besides Hillcrest Pds Magnet, Waco Isd also operates Waco H S (1,885 students), University H S (1,752 students), and Tennyson Middle (963 students). See the Waco 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.