Enrollment
780
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · San Benito, TX
Idea College Preparatory San Benito
Federal NCES profile for Idea College Preparatory San Benito, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 480021112164Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 22
📋 Attendance 44
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Idea College Preparatory San Benito earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of Texas schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #18 of 20
- schools in San Benito · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17:1
- large classes for Texas
- 78.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Idea College Preparatory San Benito has class sizes larger than 80% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Idea College Preparatory San Benito ranks #18 of 20 schools in San Benito, TX.
School address
District: Idea Public Schools · Texas
NCES ID 480021112164 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
78.5%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Idea College Preparatory San Benito compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Idea College Preparatory San Benito
Idea College Preparatory San Benito is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter combined-grade school in San Benito, Texas, enrolling 780 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17:1 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 78.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 780 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Among 1,823 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #1,397, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (96% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 7/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 390 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights 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 College Preparatory San Benito.
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 College Preparatory San Benito compares
Idea College Preparatory San Benito on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17:1 | ▲ 16% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 78.5% | ▲ 27% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 780 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
780
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
78.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% 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
17:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 80% in Texas - lower ratio than 20% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
22.3%
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 390 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.9 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 96.3%
White 2.8%
Asian 0.5%
African American 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 96.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 7.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 7.2, Idea College Preparatory San Benito is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 15
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Idea Public Schools, which includes Idea College Preparatory San Benito.
$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 College Preparatory San Benito Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Idea College Preparatory Pharr | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Idea Montopolis College Preparatory | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Idea College Prep | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Idea Mcallen College Preparatory | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Idea Riverview College Preparatory | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Idea College Preparatory San Benito'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 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 (~780 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Idea College Preparatory San Benito's federal record.
- Compare Idea College Preparatory San Benito 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 College Preparatory San Benito
How many students attend Idea College Preparatory San Benito?
Idea College Preparatory San Benito has 780 students enrolled. It is a public school in San Benito, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Idea College Preparatory San Benito?
The student-teacher ratio at Idea College Preparatory San Benito is 17:1, which is 16% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Idea College Preparatory San Benito?
78.5% of students at Idea College Preparatory San Benito are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Idea College Preparatory San Benito?
The largest demographic group at Idea College Preparatory San Benito is Hispanic or Latino at 96.3% of enrollment, in San Benito, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Idea College Preparatory San Benito?
Idea College Preparatory San Benito has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Idea College Preparatory San Benito rank among schools in San Benito?
By Resource Investment Index, Idea College Preparatory San Benito ranks #18 of 20 schools in San Benito, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in San Benito on the city page.
Is Idea College Preparatory San Benito a good school?
Idea College Preparatory San Benito earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% 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 College Preparatory San Benito, 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.