Enrollment
671
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Magnolia, TX
Nichols Sawmill El
Federal NCES profile for Nichols Sawmill El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 482874009357
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 66
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Nichols Sawmill El earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of Texas schools.
- #2 of 9
- schools in Magnolia · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16:1
- large classes for Texas
- 42.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Nichols Sawmill El has class sizes larger than 71% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Nichols Sawmill El ranks #2 of 9 schools in Magnolia, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.2%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
-32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Nichols Sawmill El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Nichols Sawmill El
Nichols Sawmill El is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Magnolia, Texas, enrolling 671 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16:1 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 42.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 671 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.
Against 1,211 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #156.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and Hispanic or Latino (27%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 336 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
13.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Magnolia Isd spends $10,506 per pupil, 23% 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.
Magnolia Isd also operates Magnolia West H S (2,356 students) and Magnolia H S (2,292 students) alongside Nichols Sawmill 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 Nichols Sawmill El compares
Nichols Sawmill 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 | 16:1 | ▲ 9% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.2% | ▼ 32% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 671 | top 30% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16:1
Leaner classes than 38% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
671
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 32% 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
16:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 71% in Texas - lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
13.7%
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
$10,506
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 336 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
21
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.4 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
White 66.6%
Hispanic or Latino 27.0%
Two or More 3.4%
African American 2.4%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 66.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.2, Nichols Sawmill El is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Magnolia Isd, which includes Nichols Sawmill El.
$10,506
Per student
-23%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-37%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 57.5%
State 27.0%
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 Nichols Sawmill El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magnolia West H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Magnolia H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Magnolia Int | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Magnolia J H | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bear Branch J H | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Nichols Sawmill El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,356
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,292
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,154
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,120
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,119
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
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 (~671 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Nichols Sawmill El's federal record.
- Compare Nichols Sawmill El against another school. Compare schools
- Magnolia 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 Nichols Sawmill El
How many students attend Nichols Sawmill El?
Nichols Sawmill El has 671 students enrolled. It is a public school in Magnolia, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Nichols Sawmill El?
The student-teacher ratio at Nichols Sawmill El is 16:1, which is 9% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 2% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Nichols Sawmill El?
42.2% of students at Nichols Sawmill El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Nichols Sawmill El?
The largest demographic group at Nichols Sawmill El is White at 66.6% of enrollment, in Magnolia, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Nichols Sawmill El?
Nichols Sawmill El has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (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 Nichols Sawmill El rank among schools in Magnolia?
By Resource Investment Index, Nichols Sawmill El ranks #2 of 9 schools in Magnolia, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Magnolia on the city page.
Is Nichols Sawmill El a good school?
Nichols Sawmill El earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% 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 Magnolia Isd?
Besides Nichols Sawmill El, Magnolia Isd also operates Magnolia West H S (2,356 students), Magnolia H S (2,292 students), and Magnolia Int (1,154 students). See the Magnolia 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.