Enrollment
487
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 484233004815
Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy — Temple, TX
Federal NCES profile for Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 27/100.
👥 Class size 24
🌟 Gifted program 30
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: Temple 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)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19:1
vs 14.6:1 Texas avg
+30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
85.6%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+38% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy 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
Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy reports 487 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 22.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 19:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 30% 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 19% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 85.6% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 38% above the Texas average and 65% above the national baseline.
On the finance side, the surrounding Temple Isd spends $13,543 per pupil district-wide, below the Texas average of $17,150 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 42.7% from local sources (property taxes), 37.6% from the state, and 19.7% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (F), calculated from 2 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 Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy 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 | 19:1 | ▲ 30% | 14.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 85.6% | ▲ 38% | 61.9% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 487 | top 48% | — | — |
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
85.6%
free-lunch eligible
— 38% 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
— 30% above state mean
Top 94% in Texas — lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$13,543
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
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
Enrollment 487 Top 48% in Texas — larger than 52% of 9,061 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 22.0
Students per teacher 19:1 +30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 85.6% +38% vs state
NCES ID 484233004815
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 51.5%
African American 26.1%
White 13.3%
Two or More 5.5%
Asian 2.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 51.5% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Temple Isd, which includes Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy.
$13,543
Per student
-21%
vs Texas
Avg $17,150
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 42.7%
State 37.6%
Federal 19.7%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,320
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Enrollment
- 763
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Enrollment
- 686
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Enrollment
- 627
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Enrollment
- 553
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
Similar other schools in Temple
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Temple H S
Standard public school
2,320 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Thornton El
Standard public school
763 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Jefferson El
Standard public school
504 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Raye-Allen El
Standard public school
441 students 17.7:1 students per teacher
Western Hills El
Standard public school
417 students 16:1 students per teacher
Hector P Garcia El
Standard public school
396 students 15.1:1 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 Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy
How many students attend Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy?
Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy has 487 students enrolled. It is a other school in TEMPLE, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy is 19:1, which is 30% higher than the Texas average of 14.6:1 and 19% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy?
85.6% of students at Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy?
The largest demographic group at Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 51.5%. The school serves a diverse student body in TEMPLE, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy?
Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (F) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.