Enrollment
571
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Rowlett, TX
Norma Dorsey El
Federal NCES profile for Norma Dorsey El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 482034007257
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Norma Dorsey El earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #6 of 10
- schools in Rowlett · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.4:1
- students per teacher
- 53.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Norma Dorsey El has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Norma Dorsey El ranks #6 of 10 schools in Rowlett, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.7%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
-13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Norma Dorsey El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Norma Dorsey El
Norma Dorsey El is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Rowlett, Texas, enrolling 571 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 53.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 571 students, its enrollment sits close to the Texas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Among 1,449 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #1,154, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (45%) and White (21%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 70/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 672 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 18.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Garland Isd also operates Sachse H S (2,935 students) and N Garland H S (2,929 students) alongside Norma Dorsey 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 Norma Dorsey El compares
Norma Dorsey 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 | 15.4:1 | ▲ 5% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.7% | ▼ 13% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 571 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
571
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% 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
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 64% in Texas - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
24.7%
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
$11,092
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
Counselors0.9 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 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 45.2%
White 21.2%
African American 19.1%
Asian 9.8%
Two or More 3.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 45.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.3, Norma Dorsey El is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Garland Isd, which includes Norma Dorsey El.
$11,092
Per student
-19%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.7%
State 37.7%
Federal 18.6%
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 Norma Dorsey El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sachse H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| N Garland H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Garland H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rowlett H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lakeview Centennial H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Norma Dorsey El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,935
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,929
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,335
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 2,156
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,073
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- 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 (~571 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Norma Dorsey El's federal record.
- Compare Norma Dorsey El against another school. Compare schools
- Garland 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 Norma Dorsey El
How many students attend Norma Dorsey El?
Norma Dorsey El has 571 students enrolled. It is a public school in Rowlett, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Norma Dorsey El?
The student-teacher ratio at Norma Dorsey El is 15.4:1, which is 5% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 2% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Norma Dorsey El?
53.7% of students at Norma Dorsey El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Norma Dorsey El?
The largest demographic group at Norma Dorsey El is Hispanic or Latino at 45.2% of enrollment, in Rowlett, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Norma Dorsey El?
Norma Dorsey El has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Norma Dorsey El rank among schools in Rowlett?
By Resource Investment Index, Norma Dorsey El ranks #6 of 10 schools in Rowlett, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Rowlett on the city page.
Is Norma Dorsey El a good school?
Norma Dorsey El earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. It is also more 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 Garland Isd?
Besides Norma Dorsey El, Garland Isd also operates Sachse H S (2,935 students), N Garland H S (2,929 students), and Garland H S (2,335 students). See the Garland 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.