Enrollment
761
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Harlingen, TX
Moises Vela Middle
Federal NCES profile for Moises Vela Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 482253010475
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 35
📋 Attendance 51
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Moises Vela Middle earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #1 of 6
- middle schools in Harlingen · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.1:1
- students per teacher
- 66.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Moises Vela Middle has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Moises Vela Middle ranks #1 of 6 middle schools in Harlingen, TX.
School address
District: Harlingen Cisd · Texas
NCES ID 482253010475 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
54.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.1:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.0%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Moises Vela Middle compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Moises Vela Middle
Moises Vela Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Harlingen, Texas, enrolling 761 students.
At 14.1:1, 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 66.0% lands close to the Texas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 761 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Among 1,539 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #149, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (94% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 11/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 325 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 25.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 16 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Harlingen Cisd also operates Harlingen H S (2,433 students) and Harlingen H S - South (2,019 students) alongside Moises Vela 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 Moises Vela Middle compares
Moises Vela 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 | 14.1:1 | ▼ 4% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.0% | ▲ 7% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 761 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.1:1
Leaner classes than 56% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
761
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
66.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% 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
14.1:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 49% in Texas - lower ratio than 51% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
19.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,718
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
Counselors2.3 FTE
Per 325 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
72
in-school suspensions + 26 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 16 expulsions.
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 94.2%
White 5.1%
Asian 0.4%
Two or More 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 94.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 11.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 11.0, Moises Vela Middle is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Harlingen Cisd, which includes Moises Vela Middle.
$12,718
Per student
-7%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.8%
State 52.6%
Federal 25.6%
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 Moises Vela Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harlingen H S | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Harlingen H S - South | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dr Abraham P Cano Freshman Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Treasure Hills El | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gutierrez Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Moises Vela Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,433
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,019
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,188
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 758
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 747
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
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 (~761 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Moises Vela Middle's federal record.
- Compare Moises Vela Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Harlingen Cisd'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 Moises Vela Middle
How many students attend Moises Vela Middle?
Moises Vela Middle has 761 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Harlingen, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Moises Vela Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Moises Vela Middle is 14.1:1, which is 4% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 10% 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 Moises Vela Middle?
66.0% of students at Moises Vela Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Moises Vela Middle?
The largest demographic group at Moises Vela Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 94.2% of enrollment, in Harlingen, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Moises Vela Middle?
Moises Vela Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher 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 Moises Vela Middle rank among middle schools in Harlingen?
By Resource Investment Index, Moises Vela Middle ranks #1 of 6 middle schools in Harlingen, 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 Harlingen on the city page.
Is Moises Vela Middle a good school?
Moises Vela Middle earns 50/100 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 Harlingen Cisd?
Besides Moises Vela Middle, Harlingen Cisd also operates Harlingen H S (2,433 students), Harlingen H S - South (2,019 students), and Dr Abraham P Cano Freshman Academy (1,188 students). See the Harlingen Cisd 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.