Enrollment
641
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · El Paso, TX
Idea Mesquite Hills Academy
Federal NCES profile for Idea Mesquite Hills Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 480021114273Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Idea Mesquite Hills Academy earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of Texas schools.
- #123 of 129
- schools in El Paso · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 29.1:1
- large classes for Texas
- 79.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Idea Mesquite Hills Academy has class sizes larger than 98% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Idea Mesquite Hills Academy ranks #123 of 129 schools in El Paso, TX.
School address
District: Idea Public Schools · Texas
NCES ID 480021114273 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
29.1:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+98% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
79.4%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Idea Mesquite Hills Academy compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Idea Mesquite Hills Academy
Idea Mesquite Hills Academy is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter combined-grade school in El Paso, Texas, enrolling 641 students.
Class loads run heavy: 29.1:1 is larger than about 98% of Texas schools and 98% 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 79.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 641 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 97% of the 8,960 Texas schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 2,220 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #2,105, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 33/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 641 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 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 Mesquite Hills 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 Mesquite Hills Academy compares
Idea Mesquite Hills 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 | 29.1:1 | ▲ 98% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 79.4% | ▲ 28% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 641 | top 33% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
29.1:1
Leaner classes than 2% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
641
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
79.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% 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
29.1:1
students per teacher
- 98% above state mean
Top 98% in Texas - lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
16.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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 641 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.6 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
Hispanic or Latino 81.1%
African American 8.1%
White 7.5%
Two or More 1.4%
Asian 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 81.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 33.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 33.0, Idea Mesquite Hills 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 Mesquite Hills 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 Mesquite Hills Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Idea College Preparatory Pharr | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Idea Montopolis College Preparatory | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Idea College Prep | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Idea Mcallen College Preparatory | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Idea Riverview College Preparatory | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Idea Mesquite Hills 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 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 (~641 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~29.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Idea Mesquite Hills Academy's federal record.
- Compare Idea Mesquite Hills 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 Mesquite Hills Academy
How many students attend Idea Mesquite Hills Academy?
Idea Mesquite Hills Academy has 641 students enrolled. It is a public school in El Paso, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Idea Mesquite Hills Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Idea Mesquite Hills Academy is 29.1:1, which is 98% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 85% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Idea Mesquite Hills Academy?
79.4% of students at Idea Mesquite Hills Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Idea Mesquite Hills Academy?
The largest demographic group at Idea Mesquite Hills Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 81.1% of enrollment, in El Paso, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Idea Mesquite Hills Academy?
Idea Mesquite Hills Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (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 Mesquite Hills Academy rank among schools in El Paso?
By Resource Investment Index, Idea Mesquite Hills Academy ranks #123 of 129 schools in El Paso, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in El Paso on the city page.
Is Idea Mesquite Hills Academy a good school?
Idea Mesquite Hills Academy earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% 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 Idea Public Schools?
Besides Idea Mesquite Hills 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.