Enrollment
137
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 480813000167
North Heights Alter — Amarillo, TX
Federal NCES profile for North Heights Alter, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 51/100.
👥 Class size 86
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 86
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Amarillo Isd · Texas
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
3.4:1
vs 14.6:1 Texas avg
-77% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.7%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How North Heights Alter compares with Texas and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
North Heights Alter reports 137 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 34.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 3.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 77% below the Texas state mean of 14.6:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 79% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 66.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 8% above the Texas average and 29% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 69 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 78.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Amarillo Isd spends $12,807 per pupil district-wide, below the Texas average of $17,150 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 30.4% from local sources (property taxes), 49.5% from the state, and 20.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (C-), calculated from 5 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How North Heights Alter compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Texas state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 3.4:1 | ▼ 77% | 14.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.7% | ▲ 8% | 61.9% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 137 | top 11% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
66.7%
free-lunch eligible
— 8% 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
3.4:1
students per teacher
— 77% below state mean
Top 1% in Texas — lower ratio than 99% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
78.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,807
per pupil, district-wide
— below Texas avg of $17,150
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 69 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 137 Top 11% in Texas — larger than 89% of 9,061 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 34.0
Students per teacher 3.4:1 -77% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 66.7% +8% vs state
NCES ID 480813000167
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 54.7%
White 26.3%
African American 14.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.2%
Asian 1.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 54.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 69:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 78.1%
In-school suspensions 1
Out-of-school suspensions 5
Expulsions 4
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Amarillo Isd, which includes North Heights Alter.
$12,807
Per student
-25%
vs Texas
Avg $17,150
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 30.4%
State 49.5%
Federal 20.1%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,176
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Enrollment
- 2,161
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Enrollment
- 2,058
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Enrollment
- 1,949
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Enrollment
- 892
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
Similar high schools in Amarillo
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Tascosa H S
Standard public school
2,176 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Amarillo H S
Standard public school
2,161 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Caprock H S
Standard public school
2,058 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Palo Duro H S
Standard public school
1,949 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
West Plains H S
Standard public school
1,221 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Randall H S
Standard public school
1,126 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about North Heights Alter
How many students attend North Heights Alter?
North Heights Alter has 137 students enrolled. It is a high school in AMARILLO, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at North Heights Alter?
The student-teacher ratio at North Heights Alter is 3.4:1, which is 77% lower than the Texas average of 14.6:1 and 79% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at North Heights Alter?
66.7% of students at North Heights Alter are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of North Heights Alter?
The largest demographic group at North Heights Alter is Hispanic or Latino at 54.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in AMARILLO, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for North Heights Alter?
North Heights Alter has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (C-) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.