Enrollment
426
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Laredo, TX
Macdonell El
Federal NCES profile for Macdonell El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 482679003022
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 15
📋 Attendance 33
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Macdonell El earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #31 of 56
- schools in Laredo · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.2:1
- students per teacher
- 97.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Macdonell El has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Macdonell El ranks #31 of 56 schools in Laredo, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
97.0%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+57% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Macdonell El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Macdonell El
Macdonell El is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Laredo, Texas, enrolling 426 students.
At 14.2:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Texas median, within a few percentage points of the 14.7:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 97.0% of students qualify for free meals, 57% above the Texas average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 426 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.
Against 1,286 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #535.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (99% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 2/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 426 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 29.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Laredo Isd also operates Nixon H S (2,124 students) and Martin H S (1,975 students) alongside Macdonell 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 Macdonell El compares
Macdonell 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 | 14.2:1 | ▼ 3% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 97.0% | ▲ 57% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 426 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.2:1
Leaner classes than 55% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
426
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
97.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 57% 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
14.2:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 50% in Texas - lower ratio than 50% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
27.0%
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
$14,275
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 426 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 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 99.1%
White 0.9%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 99.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 1.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 1.8, Macdonell El is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Laredo Isd, which includes Macdonell El.
$14,275
Per student
+5%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 12.1%
State 58.0%
Federal 29.9%
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.
How Macdonell El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nixon H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Martin H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dr Leo Cigarroa H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lamar Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Christen Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Macdonell El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,124
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,975
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,379
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,204
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,115
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
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 (~426 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Macdonell El's federal record.
- Compare Macdonell El against another school. Compare schools
- Laredo 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 Macdonell El
How many students attend Macdonell El?
Macdonell El has 426 students enrolled. It is a public school in Laredo, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Macdonell El?
The student-teacher ratio at Macdonell El is 14.2:1, which is 3% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 10% 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 Macdonell El?
97.0% of students at Macdonell El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Macdonell El?
The largest demographic group at Macdonell El is Hispanic or Latino at 99.1% of enrollment, in Laredo, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Macdonell El?
Macdonell El has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Macdonell El rank among schools in Laredo?
By Resource Investment Index, Macdonell El ranks #31 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 Macdonell El a good school?
Macdonell El earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. 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 Laredo Isd?
Besides Macdonell El, Laredo Isd also operates Nixon H S (2,124 students), Martin H S (1,975 students), and Dr Leo Cigarroa H S (1,379 students). See the Laredo 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.