Enrollment
399
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Mercedes, 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 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 483025012403
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 60
📋 Attendance 27
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
John F Kennedy El earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #1 of 7
- schools in Mercedes · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.8:1
- students per teacher
- 92.9%
- free-lunch eligible
John F Kennedy El has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, John F Kennedy El ranks #1 of 7 schools in Mercedes, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
92.9%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+50% 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 Mercedes, Texas, enrolling 399 students.
At 13.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Texas median, within a few percentage points of the 14.7:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 92.9% of students qualify for free meals, 50% above the Texas average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 399 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 1,434 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #101, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (99% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 2/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 200 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 32.1% 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 10 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Mercedes Isd also operates Mercedes H S (903 students) and Sgt Manuel Chacon Middle (518 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 | 13.8:1 | ▼ 6% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 92.9% | ▲ 50% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 399 | top 64% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
399
Bigger than 47% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
92.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% 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
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 45% in Texas - lower ratio than 55% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
29.1%
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
$14,238
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 200 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
16
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 10 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 99.2%
White 0.5%
Two or More 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 99.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 1.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 1.6, 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 Mercedes Isd, which includes John F Kennedy El.
$14,238
Per student
+4%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.0%
State 54.9%
Federal 32.1%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sgt Manuel Chacon Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Travis El | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ruben Hinojosa El | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Taylor El | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar 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
- 903
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 518
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 478
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 468
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 406
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
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 (~399 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on John F Kennedy El's federal record.
- Compare John F Kennedy El against another school. Compare schools
- Mercedes 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 399 students enrolled. It is a public school in Mercedes, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at John F Kennedy El?
The student-teacher ratio at John F Kennedy El is 13.8:1, which is 6% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 12% 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 John F Kennedy El?
92.9% 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 99.2% of enrollment, in Mercedes, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for John F Kennedy El?
John F Kennedy El has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (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 John F Kennedy El rank among schools in Mercedes?
By Resource Investment Index, John F Kennedy El ranks #1 of 7 schools in Mercedes, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Mercedes on the city page.
Is John F Kennedy El a good school?
John F Kennedy El earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. 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 Mercedes Isd?
Besides John F Kennedy El, Mercedes Isd also operates Mercedes H S (903 students), Sgt Manuel Chacon Middle (518 students), and Travis El (478 students). See the Mercedes 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.