Enrollment
601
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Mission, TX
Irene M Garcia Middle
Federal NCES profile for Irene M Garcia Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 482613009577
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 72
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Irene M Garcia Middle earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 78% of Texas schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #1 of 9
- middle schools in Mission · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.8:1
- small classes for Texas
- 87.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Irene M Garcia Middle has class sizes smaller than 78% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Irene M Garcia Middle ranks #1 of 9 middle schools in Mission, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
51.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.8:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
87.2%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Irene M Garcia Middle compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Irene M Garcia Middle
Irene M Garcia Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Mission, Texas, enrolling 601 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 87.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 601 students, its enrollment sits close to the Texas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Among 2,098 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #153, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (100% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 0/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 139 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 31.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 195 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 601 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
La Joya Isd also operates La Joya H S (2,405 students) and La Joya Palmview H S (2,073 students) alongside Irene M Garcia Middle.
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 Irene M Garcia Middle compares
Irene M Garcia Middle on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.8:1 | ▼ 20% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 87.2% | ▲ 41% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 601 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.8:1
Leaner classes than 77% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
601
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
87.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% 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
11.8:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 22% in Texas - lower ratio than 78% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
48.4%
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
$15,142
per pupil, district-wide
- above Texas avg of $13,644
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.3 FTE
Per 139 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
130
in-school suspensions + 65 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 21.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 32.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 expulsions.
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 100.0%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 100.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 0.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 0.0, Irene M Garcia Middle is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for La Joya Isd, which includes Irene M Garcia Middle.
$15,142
Per student
+11%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 10.3%
State 58.1%
Federal 31.6%
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 Irene M Garcia Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Joya H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| La Joya Palmview H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Juarez-Lincoln H S | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Enrique Kiki Camarena El | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| John F Kennedy El | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Irene M Garcia Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,405
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 2,073
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 1,952
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
- Enrollment
- 715
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 676
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
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 (~601 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Irene M Garcia Middle's federal record.
- Compare Irene M Garcia Middle against another school. Compare schools
- La Joya 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 Irene M Garcia Middle
How many students attend Irene M Garcia Middle?
Irene M Garcia Middle has 601 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Mission, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Irene M Garcia Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Irene M Garcia Middle is 11.8:1, which is 20% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 25% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Irene M Garcia Middle?
87.2% of students at Irene M Garcia Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Irene M Garcia Middle?
The largest demographic group at Irene M Garcia Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 100.0% of enrollment, in Mission, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Irene M Garcia Middle?
Irene M Garcia Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher 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 Irene M Garcia Middle rank among middle schools in Mission?
By Resource Investment Index, Irene M Garcia Middle ranks #1 of 9 middle schools in Mission, 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 Mission on the city page.
Is Irene M Garcia Middle a good school?
Irene M Garcia Middle earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 78% 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 La Joya Isd?
Besides Irene M Garcia Middle, La Joya Isd also operates La Joya H S (2,405 students), La Joya Palmview H S (2,073 students), and Juarez-Lincoln H S (1,952 students). See the La Joya 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.