Enrollment
455
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Lancaster, TX
Life School Lancaster
Federal NCES profile for Life School Lancaster, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 480005511533Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 4
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Life School Lancaster earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Texas schools.
- #12 of 12
- public schools in Lancaster · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19:1
- large classes for Texas
- 73.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Life School Lancaster has class sizes larger than 90% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Life School Lancaster ranks #12 of 12 public schools in Lancaster, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
73.3%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Life School Lancaster compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Life School Lancaster
Life School Lancaster is a higher-need, mid-sized charter elementary school in Lancaster, Texas, enrolling 455 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 runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 73.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 455 students, its enrollment sits close to the Texas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 8,960 Texas schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,754 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #1,669, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (60%) and Hispanic or Latino (31%) (diversity index 54/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 569 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Life School spends $10,257 per pupil, 25% below the Texas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 17.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 161 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 455 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 5 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Life School also operates Life School Oak Cliff (1,483 students) and Life H S Waxahachie (1,114 students) alongside Life School Lancaster.
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 Life School Lancaster compares
Life School Lancaster 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 | 73.3% | ▲ 18% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 455 | top 56% | - | - |
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.
455
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
73.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% 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
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
38.2%
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
$10,257
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
Counselors0.8 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
79
in-school suspensions + 82 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 17.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 35.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 5 expulsions.
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
African American 60.0%
Hispanic or Latino 31.2%
White 5.1%
Two or More 3.7%
Largest group: African American at 60.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.9, Life School Lancaster is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Life School, which includes Life School Lancaster.
$10,257
Per student
-25%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-38%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 1.5%
State 80.8%
Federal 17.7%
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 Life School Lancaster Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life School Oak Cliff | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Life H S Waxahachie | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Life School Red Oak | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Life Middle Waxahachie | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Life School Cedar Hill | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Life School Lancaster's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,483
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,114
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,045
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 551
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 450
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar elementary 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 (~455 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Life School Lancaster's federal record.
- Compare Life School Lancaster against another school. Compare schools
- Life School'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 Life School Lancaster
How many students attend Life School Lancaster?
Life School Lancaster has 455 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Lancaster, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Life School Lancaster?
The student-teacher ratio at Life School Lancaster 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 Life School Lancaster?
73.3% of students at Life School Lancaster are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Life School Lancaster?
The largest demographic group at Life School Lancaster is African American at 60.0% of enrollment, in Lancaster, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Life School Lancaster?
Life School Lancaster has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (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 Life School Lancaster rank among public schools in Lancaster?
By Resource Investment Index, Life School Lancaster ranks #12 of 12 public schools in Lancaster, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Lancaster on the city page.
Is Life School Lancaster a good school?
Life School Lancaster earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of 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 Life School?
Besides Life School Lancaster, Life School also operates Life School Oak Cliff (1,483 students), Life H S Waxahachie (1,114 students), and Life School Red Oak (1,045 students). See the Life School 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.