Enrollment
918
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Waxahachie, TX
Howard J H
Federal NCES profile for Howard J H, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 484473011375
👥 S:T ratio 26
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 8
📋 Attendance 65
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Howard J H earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Texas schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #4 of 4
- middle schools in Waxahachie · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.4:1
- large classes for Texas
- 40.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Howard J H has class sizes larger than 88% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Howard J H ranks #4 of 4 middle schools in Waxahachie, TX.
School address
District: Waxahachie Isd · Texas
NCES ID 484473011375 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
50.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.4:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
40.5%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
-35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Howard J H compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Howard J H
Howard J H is a large middle school in Waxahachie, Texas, enrolling 918 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.4:1 is larger than about 88% of Texas schools and 25% 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 40.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 918 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 944 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #489.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (39%) and White (31%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 459 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
14.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Waxahachie Isd also operates Waxahachie H S (3,056 students) and Finley J H (839 students) alongside Howard J H.
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 Howard J H compares
Howard J H on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.4:1 | ▲ 25% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 40.5% | ▼ 35% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 918 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.4:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
918
Bigger than 89% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
40.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% 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
18.4:1
students per teacher
- 25% above state mean
Top 88% in Texas - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
14.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$11,529
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 459 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
130
in-school suspensions + 27 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.1 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 38.7%
White 30.6%
African American 24.8%
Two or More 4.9%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 38.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.3, Howard J H is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waxahachie Isd, which includes Howard J H.
$11,529
Per student
-16%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 55.1%
State 30.8%
Federal 14.0%
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 Howard J H Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waxahachie H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Finley J H | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Coleman J H | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Wedgeworth El | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Simpson El | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Howard J H's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,056
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 839
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 775
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 594
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 592
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
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 (~918 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Howard J H's federal record.
- Compare Howard J H against another school. Compare schools
- Waxahachie 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 Howard J H
How many students attend Howard J H?
Howard J H has 918 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Waxahachie, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Howard J H?
The student-teacher ratio at Howard J H is 18.4:1, which is 25% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Howard J H?
40.5% of students at Howard J H are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Howard J H?
The largest demographic group at Howard J H is Hispanic or Latino at 38.7% of enrollment, in Waxahachie, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Howard J H?
Howard J H 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 Howard J H rank among middle schools in Waxahachie?
By Resource Investment Index, Howard J H ranks #4 of 4 middle schools in Waxahachie, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Waxahachie on the city page.
Is Howard J H a good school?
Howard J H earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Texas schools. It is also more 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 Waxahachie Isd?
Besides Howard J H, Waxahachie Isd also operates Waxahachie H S (3,056 students), Finley J H (839 students), and Coleman J H (775 students). See the Waxahachie 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.