Enrollment
73
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Denton, TX
Joe Dale Sparks Campus
Federal NCES profile for Joe Dale Sparks Campus, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 481674003735
👥 S:T ratio 79
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Joe Dale Sparks Campus earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of Texas schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #18 of 20
- schools in Denton · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 5.2:1
- small classes for Texas
- 53.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Joe Dale Sparks Campus has class sizes smaller than 98% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Joe Dale Sparks Campus ranks #18 of 20 schools in Denton, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
5.2:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-65% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.2%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
-14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Joe Dale Sparks Campus compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Joe Dale Sparks Campus
Joe Dale Sparks Campus is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Denton, Texas, enrolling 73 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 5.2:1, Joe Dale Sparks Campus is leaner than roughly 98% of Texas schools and 65% under the state's 14.7:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 53.2% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 93% of Texas schools, with 73 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Among 86 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #76, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (37%) and White (30%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 71/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Denton Isd also operates Ray Braswell H S (2,812 students) and Guyer H S (2,577 students) alongside Joe Dale Sparks Campus.
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 Joe Dale Sparks Campus compares
Joe Dale Sparks Campus on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 5.2:1 | ▼ 65% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.2% | ▼ 14% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 73 | top 93% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
5.2:1
Leaner classes than 98% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
73
Bigger than 8% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% below the Texas average of 61.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
5.2:1
students per teacher
- 65% below state mean
Top 2% in Texas - lower ratio than 98% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
45.2%
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
$11,123
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 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 37.0%
White 30.1%
African American 23.3%
Two or More 6.8%
Asian 2.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 37.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.3, Joe Dale Sparks Campus is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Denton Isd, which includes Joe Dale Sparks Campus.
$11,123
Per student
-18%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 68.7%
State 20.6%
Federal 10.8%
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 Joe Dale Sparks Campus Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ray Braswell H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Guyer H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Denton H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ryan H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Strickland Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Joe Dale Sparks Campus's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,812
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 2,577
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 2,083
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,051
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 956
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
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 (~73 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Joe Dale Sparks Campus's federal record.
- Compare Joe Dale Sparks Campus against another school. Compare schools
- Denton 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 Joe Dale Sparks Campus
How many students attend Joe Dale Sparks Campus?
Joe Dale Sparks Campus has 73 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Denton, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Joe Dale Sparks Campus?
The student-teacher ratio at Joe Dale Sparks Campus is 5.2:1, which is 65% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 67% 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 Joe Dale Sparks Campus?
53.2% of students at Joe Dale Sparks Campus are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Joe Dale Sparks Campus?
The largest demographic group at Joe Dale Sparks Campus is Hispanic or Latino at 37.0% of enrollment, in Denton, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Joe Dale Sparks Campus?
Joe Dale Sparks Campus has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Joe Dale Sparks Campus rank among schools in Denton?
By Resource Investment Index, Joe Dale Sparks Campus ranks #18 of 20 schools in Denton, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Denton on the city page.
Is Joe Dale Sparks Campus a good school?
Joe Dale Sparks Campus earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of Texas schools. It is also more 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 Denton Isd?
Besides Joe Dale Sparks Campus, Denton Isd also operates Ray Braswell H S (2,812 students), Guyer H S (2,577 students), and Denton H S (2,083 students). See the Denton 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.