Enrollment
474
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · San Benito, TX
La Paloma El
Federal NCES profile for La Paloma El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 483879005919
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 5
📋 Attendance 26
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
La Paloma El earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Texas schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #19 of 20
- schools in San Benito · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19:1
- large classes for Texas
- 89.5%
- free-lunch eligible
La Paloma El has class sizes larger than 90% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, La Paloma El ranks #19 of 20 schools in San Benito, TX.
School address
District: San Benito Cisd · Texas
NCES ID 483879005919 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
89.5%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+45% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How La Paloma El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at La Paloma El
La Paloma El is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in San Benito, Texas, enrolling 474 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19:1 is larger than about 90% of Texas schools and 29% above the 14.7:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 89.5% of students qualify for free meals, 45% above the Texas average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 474 students, its enrollment sits close to the Texas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Among 1,842 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #1,469, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (97% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 7/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 474 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 33.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
San Benito Cisd also operates San Benito H S (2,057 students) and Berta Cabaza Middle (695 students) alongside La Paloma 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 La Paloma El compares
La Paloma 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 | 19:1 | ▲ 29% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 89.5% | ▲ 45% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 474 | top 54% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19:1
Leaner classes than 20% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
474
Bigger than 58% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
89.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 45% 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
19:1
students per teacher
- 29% above state mean
Top 90% in Texas - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
29.7%
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
$13,809
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 474 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 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 96.6%
White 2.7%
African American 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 96.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 6.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 6.6, La Paloma El is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Benito Cisd, which includes La Paloma El.
$13,809
Per student
+1%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 11.8%
State 54.4%
Federal 33.8%
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 La Paloma El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Benito H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Berta Cabaza Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| San Benito Veterans Memorial Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cash El | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| San Benito Riverside Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to La Paloma El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,057
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 695
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 645
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 611
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 558
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- 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 (~474 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on La Paloma El's federal record.
- Compare La Paloma El against another school. Compare schools
- San Benito Cisd'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 La Paloma El
How many students attend La Paloma El?
La Paloma El has 474 students enrolled. It is a public school in San Benito, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at La Paloma El?
The student-teacher ratio at La Paloma El is 19:1, which is 29% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 21% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at La Paloma El?
89.5% of students at La Paloma El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of La Paloma El?
The largest demographic group at La Paloma El is Hispanic or Latino at 96.6% of enrollment, in San Benito, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for La Paloma El?
La Paloma El has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (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 La Paloma El rank among schools in San Benito?
By Resource Investment Index, La Paloma El ranks #19 of 20 schools in San Benito, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in San Benito on the city page.
Is La Paloma El a good school?
La Paloma El earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% 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 San Benito Cisd?
Besides La Paloma El, San Benito Cisd also operates San Benito H S (2,057 students), Berta Cabaza Middle (695 students), and San Benito Veterans Memorial Academy (645 students). See the San Benito Cisd 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.