Enrollment
1,053
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Laredo, TX
Joaquin Cigarroa Middle
Federal NCES profile for Joaquin Cigarroa Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 482679005884
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 58
📋 Attendance 9
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Joaquin Cigarroa Middle earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of Texas schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #4 of 16
- middle schools in Laredo · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.6:1
- small classes for Texas
- 99.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Joaquin Cigarroa Middle has class sizes smaller than 80% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Joaquin Cigarroa Middle ranks #4 of 16 middle schools in Laredo, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
91.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.6:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.5%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+61% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Joaquin Cigarroa Middle compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Joaquin Cigarroa Middle
Joaquin Cigarroa Middle is a high-poverty, large middle school in Laredo, Texas, enrolling 1,053 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 99.5% of students qualify for free meals, 61% above the Texas average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Texas, bigger than 90% of state schools at 1,053 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Among 430 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #26, 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 1/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 211 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 29.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 67 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Laredo Isd also operates Nixon H S (2,124 students) and Martin H S (1,975 students) alongside Joaquin Cigarroa 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 Joaquin Cigarroa Middle compares
Joaquin Cigarroa 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 | 11.6:1 | ▼ 21% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.5% | ▲ 61% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,053 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.6:1
Leaner classes than 79% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
1,053
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 61% above the Texas average of 61.9%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.6:1
students per teacher
- 21% below state mean
Top 20% in Texas - lower ratio than 80% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
36.4%
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
$14,275
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
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 211 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
157
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 67 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 99.7%
White 0.2%
African American 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 99.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 0.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 0.6, Joaquin Cigarroa Middle is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Laredo Isd, which includes Joaquin Cigarroa Middle.
$14,275
Per student
+5%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 12.1%
State 58.0%
Federal 29.9%
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 Joaquin Cigarroa Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nixon H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Martin H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dr Leo Cigarroa H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lamar Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Christen Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Joaquin Cigarroa Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,124
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,975
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,379
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,204
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,115
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
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 (~1,053 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Joaquin Cigarroa Middle's federal record.
- Compare Joaquin Cigarroa Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Laredo 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 Joaquin Cigarroa Middle
How many students attend Joaquin Cigarroa Middle?
Joaquin Cigarroa Middle has 1,053 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Laredo, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Joaquin Cigarroa Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Joaquin Cigarroa Middle is 11.6:1, which is 21% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 26% 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 Joaquin Cigarroa Middle?
99.5% of students at Joaquin Cigarroa Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Joaquin Cigarroa Middle?
The largest demographic group at Joaquin Cigarroa Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 99.7% of enrollment, in Laredo, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Joaquin Cigarroa Middle?
Joaquin Cigarroa Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Joaquin Cigarroa Middle rank among middle schools in Laredo?
By Resource Investment Index, Joaquin Cigarroa Middle ranks #4 of 16 middle schools in Laredo, 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 Laredo on the city page.
Is Joaquin Cigarroa Middle a good school?
Joaquin Cigarroa Middle earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller 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 Laredo Isd?
Besides Joaquin Cigarroa Middle, Laredo Isd also operates Nixon H S (2,124 students), Martin H S (1,975 students), and Dr Leo Cigarroa H S (1,379 students). See the Laredo 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.