Enrollment
791
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Mcallen, TX
Michael E Fossum Middle
Federal NCES profile for Michael E Fossum Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 482967011515
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 21
📋 Attendance 50
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Michael E Fossum Middle earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #3 of 7
- middle schools in Mcallen · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.6:1
- students per teacher
- 59.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Michael E Fossum Middle has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Michael E Fossum Middle ranks #3 of 7 middle schools in Mcallen, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
54.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
59.1%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
-5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Michael E Fossum Middle compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Michael E Fossum Middle
Michael E Fossum Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Mcallen, Texas, enrolling 791 students.
At 14.6:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 59.1% lands close to the Texas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 791 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 1,352 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #289.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (96% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 8/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 396 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 34.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Mcallen Isd also operates Mcallen H S (2,134 students) and Memorial H S (2,021 students) alongside Michael E Fossum Middle.
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 Michael E Fossum Middle compares
Michael E Fossum Middle on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.6:1 | ▼ 1% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 59.1% | ▼ 5% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 791 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.6:1
Leaner classes than 51% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
791
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
59.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% 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
14.6:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 55% in Texas - lower ratio than 45% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
20.0%
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
$13,933
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 396 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
98
in-school suspensions + 30 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 16.2 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 95.8%
White 2.4%
African American 0.8%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Two or More 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 95.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 8.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 8.2, Michael E Fossum Middle is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mcallen Isd, which includes Michael E Fossum Middle.
$13,933
Per student
+2%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.7%
State 35.5%
Federal 34.8%
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 Michael E Fossum Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mcallen H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Memorial H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rowe H S | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Morris Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cathey Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Michael E Fossum Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,134
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,021
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,905
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 999
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 827
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar middle 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 (~791 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Michael E Fossum Middle's federal record.
- Compare Michael E Fossum Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Mcallen 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 Michael E Fossum Middle
How many students attend Michael E Fossum Middle?
Michael E Fossum Middle has 791 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Mcallen, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Michael E Fossum Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Michael E Fossum Middle is 14.6:1, which is 1% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 7% 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 Michael E Fossum Middle?
59.1% of students at Michael E Fossum Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Michael E Fossum Middle?
The largest demographic group at Michael E Fossum Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 95.8% of enrollment, in Mcallen, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Michael E Fossum Middle?
Michael E Fossum Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Michael E Fossum Middle rank among middle schools in Mcallen?
By Resource Investment Index, Michael E Fossum Middle ranks #3 of 7 middle schools in Mcallen, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Mcallen on the city page.
Is Michael E Fossum Middle a good school?
Michael E Fossum Middle earns 46/100 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 Mcallen Isd?
Besides Michael E Fossum Middle, Mcallen Isd also operates Mcallen H S (2,134 students), Memorial H S (2,021 students), and Rowe H S (1,905 students). See the Mcallen 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.