Enrollment
702
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Brownsville, TX
Idea Brownsville Academy
Federal NCES profile for Idea Brownsville Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 17/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 480021112684Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 27
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Idea Brownsville Academy earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Texas schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #3 of 3
- elementary schools in Brownsville · Resource Index
- 17
- Resource Index · Lower
- 22.6:1
- large classes for Texas
- 80.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Idea Brownsville Academy has class sizes larger than 96% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Idea Brownsville Academy ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Brownsville, TX.
School address
District: Idea Public Schools · Texas
NCES ID 480021112684 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.6:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+54% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
80.7%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Idea Brownsville Academy compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Idea Brownsville Academy
Idea Brownsville Academy is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter elementary school in Brownsville, Texas, enrolling 702 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22.6:1 is larger than about 96% of Texas schools and 54% above the 14.7:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 80.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 702 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 8,960 Texas schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 2,117 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #2,069, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 10/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 702 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Idea Public Schools also operates Idea College Preparatory Pharr (848 students) and Idea Montopolis College Preparatory (835 students) alongside Idea Brownsville 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 Idea Brownsville Academy compares
Idea Brownsville 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 | 22.6:1 | ▲ 54% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 80.7% | ▲ 30% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 702 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.6:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
702
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
80.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% 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
22.6:1
students per teacher
- 54% above state mean
Top 96% in Texas - lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
29.3%
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
$11,912
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 702 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
14
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.1 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 95.0%
White 4.6%
African American 0.1%
Asian 0.1%
Two or More 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 95.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 9.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 9.5, Idea Brownsville Academy is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Idea Public Schools, which includes Idea Brownsville Academy.
$11,912
Per student
-13%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 2.8%
State 76.8%
Federal 20.4%
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 Idea Brownsville Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Idea College Preparatory Pharr | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Idea Montopolis College Preparatory | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Idea College Prep | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Idea Mcallen College Preparatory | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Idea Riverview College Preparatory | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Idea Brownsville Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 848
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 835
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 823
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 820
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 813
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
Similar elementary 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 (~702 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Idea Brownsville Academy's federal record.
- Compare Idea Brownsville Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Idea Public Schools'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 Idea Brownsville Academy
How many students attend Idea Brownsville Academy?
Idea Brownsville Academy has 702 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Brownsville, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Idea Brownsville Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Idea Brownsville Academy is 22.6:1, which is 54% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 44% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Idea Brownsville Academy?
80.7% of students at Idea Brownsville Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Idea Brownsville Academy?
The largest demographic group at Idea Brownsville Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 95.0% of enrollment, in Brownsville, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Idea Brownsville Academy?
Idea Brownsville Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 17/100 (lower 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 Idea Brownsville Academy rank among elementary schools in Brownsville?
By Resource Investment Index, Idea Brownsville Academy ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Brownsville, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Brownsville on the city page.
Is Idea Brownsville Academy a good school?
Idea Brownsville Academy earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Texas schools. 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 Idea Public Schools?
Besides Idea Brownsville Academy, Idea Public Schools also operates Idea College Preparatory Pharr (848 students), Idea Montopolis College Preparatory (835 students), and Idea College Prep (823 students). See the Idea Public Schools 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.