Enrollment
189
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Mercedes, TX
Mercedes Early Literacy Program
Federal NCES profile for Mercedes Early Literacy Program, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 15/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 483025013762
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mercedes Early Literacy Program earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of Texas schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #7 of 7
- schools in Mercedes · Resource Index
- 15
- Resource Index · Lower
- 47.3:1
- large classes for Texas
- 99.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Mercedes Early Literacy Program has class sizes larger than 99% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mercedes Early Literacy Program ranks #7 of 7 schools in Mercedes, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
4.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
47.3:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+222% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.3%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+60% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mercedes Early Literacy Program compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mercedes Early Literacy Program
Mercedes Early Literacy Program is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Mercedes, Texas, enrolling 189 students.
Class loads run heavy: 47.3:1 is larger than about 99% of Texas schools and 222% above the 14.7:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 99.3% of students qualify for free meals, 60% above the Texas average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 189 puts it in the smaller third of Texas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 8,960 Texas schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 202 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #192, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (100% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 0/100).
Its district draws 32.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Mercedes Isd also operates Mercedes H S (903 students) and Sgt Manuel Chacon Middle (518 students) alongside Mercedes Early Literacy Program.
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 Mercedes Early Literacy Program compares
Mercedes Early Literacy Program on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 47.3:1 | ▲ 222% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.3% | ▲ 60% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 189 | top 85% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
47.3:1
Leaner classes than 0% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
189
Bigger than 18% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 60% 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
47.3:1
students per teacher
- 222% above state mean
Top 99% in Texas - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Funding equity
$14,238
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 100.0%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 100.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 0.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 0.0, Mercedes Early Literacy Program is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mercedes Isd, which includes Mercedes Early Literacy Program.
$14,238
Per student
+4%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.0%
State 54.9%
Federal 32.1%
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 Mercedes Early Literacy Program Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sgt Manuel Chacon Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Travis El | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ruben Hinojosa El | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Taylor El | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mercedes Early Literacy Program's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 903
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 518
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 478
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 468
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 406
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
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 (~189 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mercedes Early Literacy Program's federal record.
- Compare Mercedes Early Literacy Program against another school. Compare schools
- Mercedes 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 Mercedes Early Literacy Program
How many students attend Mercedes Early Literacy Program?
Mercedes Early Literacy Program has 189 students enrolled. It is a public school in Mercedes, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mercedes Early Literacy Program?
The student-teacher ratio at Mercedes Early Literacy Program is 47.3:1, which is 222% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 201% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mercedes Early Literacy Program?
99.3% of students at Mercedes Early Literacy Program are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mercedes Early Literacy Program?
The largest demographic group at Mercedes Early Literacy Program is Hispanic or Latino at 100.0% of enrollment, in Mercedes, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mercedes Early Literacy Program?
Mercedes Early Literacy Program has a Resource Investment Index of 15/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Mercedes Early Literacy Program rank among schools in Mercedes?
By Resource Investment Index, Mercedes Early Literacy Program ranks #7 of 7 schools in Mercedes, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Mercedes on the city page.
Is Mercedes Early Literacy Program a good school?
Mercedes Early Literacy Program earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% 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 Mercedes Isd?
Besides Mercedes Early Literacy Program, Mercedes Isd also operates Mercedes H S (903 students), Sgt Manuel Chacon Middle (518 students), and Travis El (478 students). See the Mercedes 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.