Enrollment
575
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Temple, TX
Joe M Pirtle El
Federal NCES profile for Joe M Pirtle El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 480986008101
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Joe M Pirtle El earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #1 of 5
- elementary schools in Temple · Resource Index
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.4:1
- students per teacher
- 33.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Joe M Pirtle El has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Joe M Pirtle El ranks #1 of 5 elementary schools in Temple, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.4:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.5%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
-46% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Joe M Pirtle El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Joe M Pirtle El
Joe M Pirtle El is a mid-sized elementary school in Temple, Texas, enrolling 575 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 33.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 575 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 967 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #90, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and Hispanic or Latino (29%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 66/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Belton Isd also operates Lake Belton H S (2,300 students) and Belton H S (1,763 students) alongside Joe M Pirtle El.
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 M Pirtle El compares
Joe M Pirtle El on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.4:1 | ▼ 9% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.5% | ▼ 46% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 575 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.4:1
Leaner classes than 63% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
575
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 46% below the Texas average of 61.9%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.4:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 39% in Texas - lower ratio than 61% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
22.1%
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
$11,093
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
8
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.4 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
White 48.0%
Hispanic or Latino 29.4%
African American 11.0%
Two or More 9.2%
Asian 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 48.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.2, Joe M Pirtle El is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Belton Isd, which includes Joe M Pirtle El.
$11,093
Per student
-19%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.5%
State 49.9%
Federal 11.5%
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 M Pirtle El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Belton H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Belton H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| North Belton Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lake Belton Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chisholm Trail El | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Joe M Pirtle El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,300
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,763
- Students per teacher
- 11.2:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 979
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 803
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 766
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar elementary 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 (~575 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Joe M Pirtle El's federal record.
- Compare Joe M Pirtle El against another school. Compare schools
- Belton 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 M Pirtle El
How many students attend Joe M Pirtle El?
Joe M Pirtle El has 575 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Temple, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Joe M Pirtle El?
The student-teacher ratio at Joe M Pirtle El is 13.4:1, which is 9% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 15% 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 M Pirtle El?
33.5% of students at Joe M Pirtle El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Joe M Pirtle El?
The largest demographic group at Joe M Pirtle El is White at 48.0% of enrollment, in Temple, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Joe M Pirtle El?
Joe M Pirtle El has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (higher 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 M Pirtle El rank among elementary schools in Temple?
By Resource Investment Index, Joe M Pirtle El ranks #1 of 5 elementary schools in Temple, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Temple on the city page.
Is Joe M Pirtle El a good school?
Joe M Pirtle El earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. 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 Belton Isd?
Besides Joe M Pirtle El, Belton Isd also operates Lake Belton H S (2,300 students), Belton H S (1,763 students), and North Belton Middle (979 students). See the Belton 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.