Enrollment
1,214
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Houston, TX
O'donnell Middle
Federal NCES profile for O'donnell Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 480783001143
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
O'donnell Middle earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #22 of 116
- middle schools in Houston · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.8:1
- students per teacher
- 81.2%
- free-lunch eligible
O'donnell Middle has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, O'donnell Middle ranks #22 of 116 middle schools in Houston, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
88.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
81.2%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How O'donnell Middle compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at O'donnell Middle
O'donnell Middle is a high-poverty, large middle school in Houston, Texas, enrolling 1,214 students.
At 13.8:1, 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 81.2% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Texas, bigger than 92% of state schools at 1,214 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Among 650 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #50, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (45%) and African American (37%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 251 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 25.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 545 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,214 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Alief Isd also operates Elsik H S (4,057 students) and Hastings H S (3,786 students) alongside O'donnell Middle.
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 O'donnell Middle compares
O'donnell Middle on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.8:1 | ▼ 6% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 81.2% | ▲ 31% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,214 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,214
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
81.2%
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
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 45% in Texas - lower ratio than 55% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
28.7%
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
$13,241
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
Counselors4.8 FTE
Per 251 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
330
in-school suspensions + 215 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 27.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 44.9 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 44.7%
African American 37.2%
Asian 11.0%
White 5.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Two or More 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 44.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.7, O'donnell Middle is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Alief Isd, which includes O'donnell Middle.
$13,241
Per student
-3%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.8%
State 39.8%
Federal 25.3%
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 O'donnell Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elsik H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hastings H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Taylor H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Budewig Int | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Olle Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to O'donnell Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,057
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 3,786
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 2,838
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,054
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,025
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar middle 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 (~1,214 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on O'donnell Middle's federal record.
- Compare O'donnell Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Alief 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 O'donnell Middle
How many students attend O'donnell Middle?
O'donnell Middle has 1,214 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Houston, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at O'donnell Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at O'donnell Middle is 13.8:1, which is 6% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 12% 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 O'donnell Middle?
81.2% of students at O'donnell Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of O'donnell Middle?
The largest demographic group at O'donnell Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 44.7% of enrollment, in Houston, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for O'donnell Middle?
O'donnell Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 O'donnell Middle rank among middle schools in Houston?
By Resource Investment Index, O'donnell Middle ranks #22 of 116 middle schools in Houston, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Houston on the city page.
Is O'donnell Middle a good school?
O'donnell Middle earns 48/100 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 Alief Isd?
Besides O'donnell Middle, Alief Isd also operates Elsik H S (4,057 students), Hastings H S (3,786 students), and Taylor H S (2,838 students). See the Alief 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.