Enrollment
1,094
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Frisco, TX
Nelson Middle
Federal NCES profile for Nelson Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 482001013314
👥 S:T ratio 33
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 84
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Nelson Middle earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Texas schools.
- #12 of 16
- middle schools in Frisco · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.8:1
- large classes for Texas
- 3.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Nelson Middle has class sizes larger than 78% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Nelson Middle ranks #12 of 16 middle schools in Frisco, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
65.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.8:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
3.3%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
-95% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Nelson Middle compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Nelson Middle
Nelson Middle is a lower-poverty, large middle school in Frisco, Texas, enrolling 1,094 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 3.3% free-meal eligibility runs 95% below the Texas average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Texas, bigger than 91% of state schools at 1,094 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 245 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #94.
Its student body is led by Asian (72%) and White (14%) (diversity index 45/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 547 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.5% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Frisco Isd spends $9,891 per pupil, 28% below the Texas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Frisco Isd also operates Wakeland H S (2,230 students) and Reedy H S (2,201 students) alongside Nelson 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 Nelson Middle compares
Nelson 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 | 16.8:1 | ▲ 14% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 3.3% | ▼ 95% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,094 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.8:1
Leaner classes than 32% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,094
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
3.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 95% below the Texas average of 61.9%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.8:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 78% in Texas - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
6.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$9,891
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 547 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
14
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.8 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
Asian 72.3%
White 14.4%
African American 4.3%
Hispanic or Latino 4.2%
Two or More 3.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Asian at 72.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.2, Nelson Middle is about as mixed as the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Frisco Isd, which includes Nelson Middle.
$9,891
Per student
-28%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-40%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 75.4%
State 16.3%
Federal 8.3%
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 Nelson Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wakeland H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Reedy H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lebanon Trail H S | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Centennial H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lone Star H S | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Nelson Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,230
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 2,201
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,173
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,018
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 2,004
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
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 (~1,094 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Nelson Middle's federal record.
- Compare Nelson Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Frisco 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 Nelson Middle
How many students attend Nelson Middle?
Nelson Middle has 1,094 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Frisco, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Nelson Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Nelson Middle is 16.8:1, which is 14% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 7% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Nelson Middle?
3.3% of students at Nelson Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Nelson Middle?
The largest demographic group at Nelson Middle is Asian at 72.3% of enrollment, in Frisco, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Nelson Middle?
Nelson Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 Nelson Middle rank among middle schools in Frisco?
By Resource Investment Index, Nelson Middle ranks #12 of 16 middle schools in Frisco, 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 Frisco on the city page.
Is Nelson Middle a good school?
Nelson Middle earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% 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 Frisco Isd?
Besides Nelson Middle, Frisco Isd also operates Wakeland H S (2,230 students), Reedy H S (2,201 students), and Lebanon Trail H S (2,173 students). See the Frisco 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.