Enrollment
676
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Penitas, TX
John F Kennedy El
Federal NCES profile for John F Kennedy El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 482613002935
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 8
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
John F Kennedy El earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Texas schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #3 of 3
- schools in Penitas · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.9:1
- large classes for Texas
- 87.0%
- free-lunch eligible
John F Kennedy El has class sizes larger than 79% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, John F Kennedy El ranks #3 of 3 schools in Penitas, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.9:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
87.0%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How John F Kennedy El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at John F Kennedy El
John F Kennedy El is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Penitas, Texas, enrolling 676 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 87.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 676 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 8,960 Texas schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,964 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #1,665, in the lower tier 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 access is stretched at roughly 676 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.7% 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.
La Joya Isd also operates La Joya H S (2,405 students) and La Joya Palmview H S (2,073 students) alongside John F Kennedy 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 John F Kennedy El compares
John F Kennedy 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 | 16.9:1 | ▲ 15% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 87.0% | ▲ 41% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 676 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.9:1
Leaner classes than 31% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
676
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
87.0%
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
16.9:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 79% in Texas - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
36.7%
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 676 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.0 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 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, John F Kennedy El 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 John F Kennedy El.
$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 John F Kennedy El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Joya H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| La Joya Palmview H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Juarez-Lincoln H S | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Enrique Kiki Camarena El | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ann Richards Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to John F Kennedy El'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
- 665
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
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 (~676 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on John F Kennedy El's federal record.
- Compare John F Kennedy El 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 John F Kennedy El
How many students attend John F Kennedy El?
John F Kennedy El has 676 students enrolled. It is a public school in Penitas, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at John F Kennedy El?
The student-teacher ratio at John F Kennedy El is 16.9:1, which is 15% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at John F Kennedy El?
87.0% of students at John F Kennedy El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of John F Kennedy El?
The largest demographic group at John F Kennedy El is Hispanic or Latino at 100.0% of enrollment, in Penitas, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for John F Kennedy El?
John F Kennedy El has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (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 John F Kennedy El rank among schools in Penitas?
By Resource Investment Index, John F Kennedy El ranks #3 of 3 schools in Penitas, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Penitas on the city page.
Is John F Kennedy El a good school?
John F Kennedy El earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% 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 John F Kennedy El, 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.