Enrollment
855
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Houston, TX
Metcalf El
Federal NCES profile for Metcalf El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 481611021297
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 14
📋 Attendance 67
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Metcalf El earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Texas schools.
- #129 of 435
- schools in Houston · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19:1
- large classes for Texas
- 82.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Metcalf El has class sizes larger than 90% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Metcalf El ranks #129 of 435 schools in Houston, TX.
School address
District: Cypress-Fairbanks Isd · Texas
NCES ID 481611021297 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
82.7%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Metcalf El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Metcalf El
Metcalf El is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Houston, Texas, enrolling 855 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 82.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 855 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 1,587 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #310.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (62%) and African American (20%) (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 428 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
13.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Cypress-Fairbanks Isd spends $10,232 per pupil, 25% below the Texas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 15.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Cypress-Fairbanks Isd also operates Bridgeland H S (3,707 students) and Cypress Woods H S (3,469 students) alongside Metcalf 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 Metcalf El compares
Metcalf 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 | 19:1 | ▲ 29% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 82.7% | ▲ 34% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 855 | top 16% | - | - |
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.
855
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
82.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% 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
13.2%
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
$10,232
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 428 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
13
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.9 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 61.6%
African American 20.4%
Asian 7.7%
White 5.8%
Two or More 4.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 61.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.8, Metcalf El is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cypress-Fairbanks Isd, which includes Metcalf El.
$10,232
Per student
-25%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-38%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 56.0%
State 28.5%
Federal 15.5%
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 Metcalf El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeland H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cypress Woods H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cypress Ranch H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jersey Village H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cypress Creek H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Metcalf El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,707
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 3,469
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 3,463
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 3,323
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 3,222
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
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 (~855 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Metcalf El's federal record.
- Compare Metcalf El against another school. Compare schools
- Cypress-Fairbanks 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 Metcalf El
How many students attend Metcalf El?
Metcalf El has 855 students enrolled. It is a public school in Houston, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Metcalf El?
The student-teacher ratio at Metcalf El 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 Metcalf El?
82.7% of students at Metcalf El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Metcalf El?
The largest demographic group at Metcalf El is Hispanic or Latino at 61.6% of enrollment, in Houston, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Metcalf El?
Metcalf El has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Metcalf El rank among schools in Houston?
By Resource Investment Index, Metcalf El ranks #129 of 435 schools in Houston, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Houston on the city page.
Is Metcalf El a good school?
Metcalf El earns 44/100 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 Cypress-Fairbanks Isd?
Besides Metcalf El, Cypress-Fairbanks Isd also operates Bridgeland H S (3,707 students), Cypress Woods H S (3,469 students), and Cypress Ranch H S (3,463 students). See the Cypress-Fairbanks 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.