Enrollment
617
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Houston, TX
John F Ward El
Federal NCES profile for John F Ward El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 481428006835
👥 S:T ratio 33
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 51
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
John F Ward El earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Texas schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #258 of 435
- schools in Houston · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.7:1
- large classes for Texas
- 37.2%
- free-lunch eligible
John F Ward El has class sizes larger than 77% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, John F Ward El ranks #258 of 435 schools in Houston, TX.
School address
District: Clear Creek Isd · Texas
NCES ID 481428006835 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.7:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.2%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
-40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How John F Ward El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at John F Ward El
John F Ward El is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Houston, Texas, enrolling 617 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 37.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 617 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Among 1,076 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #888, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (37%) and Hispanic or Latino (32%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 72/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 617 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Clear Creek Isd spends $10,150 per pupil, 26% below the Texas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Clear Creek Isd also operates Clear Springs H S (2,668 students) and Clear Falls H S (2,508 students) alongside John F Ward 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 Ward El compares
John F Ward 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 | 16.7:1 | ▲ 14% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.2% | ▼ 40% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 617 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.7:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
617
Bigger than 74% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% 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
16.7:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 77% in Texas - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
19.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$10,150
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 617 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
19
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.7 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 36.8%
Hispanic or Latino 32.4%
African American 12.8%
Asian 12.8%
Two or More 4.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 36.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.4, John F Ward El is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Clear Creek Isd, which includes John F Ward El.
$10,150
Per student
-26%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-39%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 69.0%
State 18.5%
Federal 12.5%
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 John F Ward El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clear Springs H S | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Clear Falls H S | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Clear Lake H S | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Clear Creek H S | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Clear Brook H S | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to John F Ward El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,668
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 2,508
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 2,500
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,469
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,303
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
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 (~617 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on John F Ward El's federal record.
- Compare John F Ward El against another school. Compare schools
- Clear Creek 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 Ward El
How many students attend John F Ward El?
John F Ward El has 617 students enrolled. It is a public school in Houston, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at John F Ward El?
The student-teacher ratio at John F Ward El is 16.7:1, which is 14% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at John F Ward El?
37.2% of students at John F Ward El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of John F Ward El?
The largest demographic group at John F Ward El is White at 36.8% of enrollment, in Houston, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for John F Ward El?
John F Ward El has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 John F Ward El rank among schools in Houston?
By Resource Investment Index, John F Ward El ranks #258 of 435 schools in Houston, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Houston on the city page.
Is John F Ward El a good school?
John F Ward El earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% 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 Clear Creek Isd?
Besides John F Ward El, Clear Creek Isd also operates Clear Springs H S (2,668 students), Clear Falls H S (2,508 students), and Clear Lake H S (2,500 students). See the Clear Creek 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.