Enrollment
572
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · So Houston, TX
L F Smith El
Federal NCES profile for L F Smith El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 483432003847
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 41
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
L F Smith El earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 77% of Texas schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #1 of 3
- schools in So Houston · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.9:1
- small classes for Texas
- 88.1%
- free-lunch eligible
L F Smith El has class sizes smaller than 77% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, L F Smith El ranks #1 of 3 schools in So Houston, TX.
School address
District: Pasadena Isd · Texas
NCES ID 483432003847 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.9:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
88.1%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+42% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How L F Smith El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at L F Smith El
L F Smith El is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in So Houston, Texas, enrolling 572 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 88.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 572 students, its enrollment sits close to the Texas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 2,054 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #738.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (94% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 11/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 572 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 24.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Pasadena Isd also operates Dobie H S (3,692 students) and Pasadena Memorial H S (3,177 students) alongside L F Smith 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 L F Smith El compares
L F Smith 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 | 11.9:1 | ▼ 19% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 88.1% | ▲ 42% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 572 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.9:1
Leaner classes than 76% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
572
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
88.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 42% 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
11.9:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 23% in Texas - lower ratio than 77% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
23.6%
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
$13,221
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 572 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.9 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 94.4%
White 3.7%
African American 1.6%
Asian 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 94.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 10.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 10.7, L F Smith El is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pasadena Isd, which includes L F Smith El.
$13,221
Per student
-3%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.7%
State 43.5%
Federal 24.8%
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 L F Smith El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dobie H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pasadena Memorial H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sam Rayburn H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pasadena H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Houston H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to L F Smith El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,692
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 3,177
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 2,627
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 2,217
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 2,185
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
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 (~572 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on L F Smith El's federal record.
- Compare L F Smith El against another school. Compare schools
- Pasadena 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 L F Smith El
How many students attend L F Smith El?
L F Smith El has 572 students enrolled. It is a public school in So Houston, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at L F Smith El?
The student-teacher ratio at L F Smith El is 11.9:1, which is 19% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 24% 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 L F Smith El?
88.1% of students at L F Smith El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of L F Smith El?
The largest demographic group at L F Smith El is Hispanic or Latino at 94.4% of enrollment, in So Houston, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for L F Smith El?
L F Smith El has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 L F Smith El rank among schools in So Houston?
By Resource Investment Index, L F Smith El ranks #1 of 3 schools in So 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 So Houston on the city page.
Is L F Smith El a good school?
L F Smith El earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 77% 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 Pasadena Isd?
Besides L F Smith El, Pasadena Isd also operates Dobie H S (3,692 students), Pasadena Memorial H S (3,177 students), and Sam Rayburn H S (2,627 students). See the Pasadena 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.