Enrollment
618
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Laredo, TX
Judith Zaffirini El
Federal NCES profile for Judith Zaffirini El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 484365008406
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Judith Zaffirini El earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Texas schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #33 of 56
- schools in Laredo · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.2:1
- large classes for Texas
- 82.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Judith Zaffirini El has class sizes larger than 81% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Judith Zaffirini El ranks #33 of 56 schools in Laredo, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.2:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
82.7%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Judith Zaffirini El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Judith Zaffirini El
Judith Zaffirini El is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Laredo, Texas, enrolling 618 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 82.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 618 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.
Against 2,289 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #1,059.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (98% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 4/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 618 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 25.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
United Isd also operates United H S (3,463 students) and United South H S (3,252 students) alongside Judith Zaffirini 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 Judith Zaffirini El compares
Judith Zaffirini 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 | 17.2:1 | ▲ 17% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 82.7% | ▲ 34% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 618 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.2:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
618
Bigger than 74% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
82.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% 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
17.2:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 81% in Texas - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
18.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,465
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 618 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 98.1%
Asian 1.1%
White 0.5%
African American 0.2%
Two or More 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 98.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 3.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 3.7, Judith Zaffirini El is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for United Isd, which includes Judith Zaffirini El.
$12,465
Per student
-9%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.4%
State 35.9%
Federal 25.7%
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 Judith Zaffirini El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| United H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| United South H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lyndon B Johnson | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| John B Alexander H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Elias Herrera Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Judith Zaffirini El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,463
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 3,252
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 3,240
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 3,171
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,146
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- 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 (~618 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Judith Zaffirini El's federal record.
- Compare Judith Zaffirini El against another school. Compare schools
- United 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 Judith Zaffirini El
How many students attend Judith Zaffirini El?
Judith Zaffirini El has 618 students enrolled. It is a public school in Laredo, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Judith Zaffirini El?
The student-teacher ratio at Judith Zaffirini El is 17.2:1, which is 17% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Judith Zaffirini El?
82.7% of students at Judith Zaffirini El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Judith Zaffirini El?
The largest demographic group at Judith Zaffirini El is Hispanic or Latino at 98.1% of enrollment, in Laredo, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Judith Zaffirini El?
Judith Zaffirini El has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Judith Zaffirini El rank among schools in Laredo?
By Resource Investment Index, Judith Zaffirini El ranks #33 of 56 schools in Laredo, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Laredo on the city page.
Is Judith Zaffirini El a good school?
Judith Zaffirini El earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% 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 United Isd?
Besides Judith Zaffirini El, United Isd also operates United H S (3,463 students), United South H S (3,252 students), and Lyndon B Johnson (3,240 students). See the United 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.