Enrollment
479
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Hereford, TX
Northwest El
Federal NCES profile for Northwest El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 482301002337
👥 S:T ratio 26
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 4
📋 Attendance 57
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northwest El earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Texas schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #3 of 4
- elementary schools in Hereford · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.4:1
- large classes for Texas
- 78.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Northwest El has class sizes larger than 88% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northwest El ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Hereford, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.4:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
78.1%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+26% 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 elementary school in Hereford, Texas, enrolling 479 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.4:1 is larger than about 88% of Texas schools and 25% above the 14.7:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 78.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 479 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.
Against 2,045 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #1,125.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (90% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 18/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 479 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
17.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Hereford Isd spends $10,647 per pupil, 22% below the Texas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 18.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Hereford Isd also operates Hereford H S (1,182 students) and Hereford J H (534 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 | 18.4:1 | ▲ 25% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 78.1% | ▲ 26% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 479 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.4:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
479
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
78.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% 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
18.4:1
students per teacher
- 25% above state mean
Top 88% in Texas - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
17.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$10,647
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 479 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.3 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 90.0%
White 7.9%
African American 0.6%
Two or More 0.6%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 90.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.4, Northwest El is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hereford Isd, which includes Northwest El.
$10,647
Per student
-22%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.6%
State 42.7%
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 Northwest El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hereford H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hereford J H | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Aikman El | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bluebonnet El | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| West Central El | Smaller | Similar 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
- 1,182
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 534
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 464
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 366
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 331
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar elementary 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 (~479 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northwest El's federal record.
- Compare Northwest El against another school. Compare schools
- Hereford 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 479 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Hereford, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northwest El?
The student-teacher ratio at Northwest El is 18.4:1, which is 25% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Northwest El?
78.1% 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 90.0% of enrollment, in Hereford, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northwest El?
Northwest El has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Northwest El rank among elementary schools in Hereford?
By Resource Investment Index, Northwest El ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Hereford, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Hereford on the city page.
Is Northwest El a good school?
Northwest El earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Texas schools. It is also less 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 Hereford Isd?
Besides Northwest El, Hereford Isd also operates Hereford H S (1,182 students), Hereford J H (534 students), and Aikman El (464 students). See the Hereford 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.