Enrollment
486
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Brownwood, TX
Northwest El
Federal NCES profile for Northwest El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 481170000675
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 51
📋 Attendance 36
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northwest El earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median.
- #5 of 6
- schools in Brownwood · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.9:1
- students per teacher
- 81.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Northwest El has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northwest El ranks #5 of 6 schools in Brownwood, TX.
School address
District: Brownwood Isd · Texas
NCES ID 481170000675 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.9:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
81.1%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northwest El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northwest El
Northwest El is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Brownwood, Texas, enrolling 486 students.
At 13.9:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 81.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 486 students, its enrollment sits close to the Texas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Among 2,187 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #207, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (48%) and White (42%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 243 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.9% 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 10 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Brownwood Isd also operates Brownwood H S (935 students) and Coggin El (708 students) alongside Northwest 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 Northwest El compares
Northwest 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 | 13.9:1 | ▼ 5% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 81.1% | ▲ 31% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 486 | top 52% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.9:1
Leaner classes than 58% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
486
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
81.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% 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
13.9:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 46% in Texas - lower ratio than 54% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
25.7%
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
$11,734
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 243 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 10 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 47.5%
White 41.8%
African American 5.1%
Two or More 5.1%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 47.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.4, Northwest El is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Brownwood Isd, which includes Northwest El.
$11,734
Per student
-14%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.9%
State 36.2%
Federal 21.9%
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 Northwest El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brownwood H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Coggin El | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Woodland Heights El | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Brownwood Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| East El | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Northwest El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 935
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 708
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 494
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 472
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 281
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
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 (~486 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northwest El's federal record.
- Compare Northwest El against another school. Compare schools
- Brownwood 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 Northwest El
How many students attend Northwest El?
Northwest El has 486 students enrolled. It is a public school in Brownwood, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northwest El?
The student-teacher ratio at Northwest El is 13.9:1, which is 5% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 11% 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 Northwest El?
81.1% of students at Northwest El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northwest El?
The largest demographic group at Northwest El is Hispanic or Latino at 47.5% of enrollment, in Brownwood, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northwest El?
Northwest El 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 Northwest El rank among schools in Brownwood?
By Resource Investment Index, Northwest El ranks #5 of 6 schools in Brownwood, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Brownwood on the city page.
Is Northwest El a good school?
Northwest El earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. 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 Brownwood Isd?
Besides Northwest El, Brownwood Isd also operates Brownwood H S (935 students), Coggin El (708 students), and Woodland Heights El (494 students). See the Brownwood 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.