Enrollment
1,039
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Katy, TX
Mcelwain El
Federal NCES profile for Mcelwain El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 482517013832
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 65
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mcelwain El earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of Texas schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #26 of 54
- schools in Katy · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.5:1
- small classes for Texas
- 44.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Mcelwain El has class sizes smaller than 81% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mcelwain El ranks #26 of 54 schools in Katy, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
90.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.5:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.3%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
-28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mcelwain El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mcelwain El
Mcelwain El is a large combined-grade school in Katy, Texas, enrolling 1,039 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 44.3% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Texas, bigger than 90% of state schools at 1,039 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 797 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #172.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (43%) and African American (28%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 71/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1039 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
13.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Katy Isd also operates Seven Lakes H S (3,773 students) and Cinco Ranch H S (3,740 students) alongside Mcelwain 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 Mcelwain El compares
Mcelwain 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 | 11.5:1 | ▼ 22% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.3% | ▼ 28% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,039 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.5:1
Leaner classes than 79% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
1,039
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% below the Texas average of 61.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.5:1
students per teacher
- 22% below state mean
Top 19% in Texas - lower ratio than 81% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
13.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$11,068
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 1039 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
37
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.9 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 42.9%
African American 27.9%
White 14.2%
Asian 9.2%
Two or More 5.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 42.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.6, Mcelwain El is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Katy Isd, which includes Mcelwain El.
$11,068
Per student
-19%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.4%
State 35.6%
Federal 10.0%
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 Mcelwain El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seven Lakes H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cinco Ranch H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Katy H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Paetow H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Taylor H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mcelwain El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,773
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 3,740
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 3,543
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 3,447
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 3,384
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
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 (~1,039 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mcelwain El's federal record.
- Compare Mcelwain El against another school. Compare schools
- Katy 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 Mcelwain El
How many students attend Mcelwain El?
Mcelwain El has 1,039 students enrolled. It is a public school in Katy, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mcelwain El?
The student-teacher ratio at Mcelwain El is 11.5:1, which is 22% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 27% 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 Mcelwain El?
44.3% of students at Mcelwain El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mcelwain El?
The largest demographic group at Mcelwain El is Hispanic or Latino at 42.9% of enrollment, in Katy, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mcelwain El?
Mcelwain El has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 Mcelwain El rank among schools in Katy?
By Resource Investment Index, Mcelwain El ranks #26 of 54 schools in Katy, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Katy on the city page.
Is Mcelwain El a good school?
Mcelwain El earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of Texas schools. It is also more 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 Katy Isd?
Besides Mcelwain El, Katy Isd also operates Seven Lakes H S (3,773 students), Cinco Ranch H S (3,740 students), and Katy H S (3,543 students). See the Katy 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.