Enrollment
881
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 482628002965
La Vega H S — Waco, TX
Federal NCES profile for La Vega H S, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 32/100.
👥 Class size 39
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: La Vega Isd · Texas
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
58.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.2:1
vs 14.6:1 Texas avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
88.0%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+42% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How La Vega H S compares with Texas and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
La Vega H S reports 881 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 58.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 15.2:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 4% above the Texas state mean of 14.6:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 4% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 88.0% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 42% above the Texas average and 70% above the national baseline. The school offers 2 Advanced Placement courses, a stronger academic pipeline indicator than enrollment alone. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 305 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 42.5% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding La Vega Isd spends $12,801 per pupil district-wide, below the Texas average of $17,150 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 29.3% from local sources (property taxes), 45.9% from the state, and 24.9% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (F), calculated from 5 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How La Vega H S compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Texas state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.2:1 | ▲ 4% | 14.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 88.0% | ▲ 42% | 61.9% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 881 | top 85% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
88.0%
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
15.2:1
students per teacher
— 4% above state mean
Top 60% in Texas — lower ratio than 40% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
42.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,801
per pupil, district-wide
— below Texas avg of $17,150
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.9 FTE
Per 305 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
211
in-school suspensions + 74 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 24.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 32.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 881 Top 85% in Texas — larger than 15% of 9,061 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 58.0
Students per teacher 15.2:1 +4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 88.0% +42% vs state
NCES ID 482628002965
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 58.8%
African American 27.4%
White 11.0%
Two or More 2.3%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 58.8% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 2
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.9
Students per counselor 305:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 42.5%
In-school suspensions 211
Out-of-school suspensions 74
Expulsions 2
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for La Vega Isd, which includes La Vega H S.
$12,801
Per student
-25%
vs Texas
Avg $17,150
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 29.3%
State 45.9%
Federal 24.9%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 695
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Enrollment
- 630
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Enrollment
- 444
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Enrollment
- 441
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
Similar high schools in Waco
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Midway H S
Standard public school
2,687 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Waco H S
Standard public school
1,885 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
University H S
Standard public school
1,752 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Connally High School
Standard public school
614 students 11:1 students per teacher
Paul and Jane Meyer Public H S
Standard public school
233 students 9.6:1 students per teacher
Bosqueville H S
Standard public school
227 students 10.9:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about La Vega H S
How many students attend La Vega H S?
La Vega H S has 881 students enrolled. It is a high school in WACO, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at La Vega H S?
The student-teacher ratio at La Vega H S is 15.2:1, which is 4% higher than the Texas average of 14.6:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at La Vega H S?
88.0% of students at La Vega H S are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of La Vega H S?
The largest demographic group at La Vega H S is Hispanic or Latino at 58.8%. The school serves a diverse student body in WACO, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for La Vega H S?
La Vega H S has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (F) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.