Enrollment
3,447
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Katy, TX
Paetow H S
Federal NCES profile for Paetow H S, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 482517012984
👥 S:T ratio 34
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 2
📋 Attendance 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Paetow H S earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Texas schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Texas.
- #10 of 10
- high schools in Katy · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.4:1
- large classes for Texas
- 53.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Paetow H S has class sizes larger than 75% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Paetow H S ranks #10 of 10 high schools in Katy, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
210.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.4:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.1%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
-14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Paetow H S compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Paetow H S
Paetow H S is a higher-need, large high school in Katy, Texas, enrolling 3,447 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 53.1% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Texas, bigger than 99% of state schools at 3,447 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Among 105 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #87, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (45%) and African American (32%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 68/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 26 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 492 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 119 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Katy Isd also operates Seven Lakes H S (3,773 students) and Cinco Ranch H S (3,740 students) alongside Paetow H S.
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 Paetow H S compares
Paetow H S on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.4:1 | ▲ 12% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.1% | ▼ 14% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 3,447 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.4:1
Leaner classes than 35% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
3,447
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% 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
16.4:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 75% in Texas - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
28.2%
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
$11,068
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
Counselors7.0 FTE
Per 492 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
303
in-school suspensions + 203 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 119 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 44.6%
African American 32.3%
White 11.1%
Asian 7.6%
Two or More 4.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 44.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.7, Paetow H S is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 26
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Katy Isd, which includes Paetow H S.
$11,068
Per student
-19%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.4%
State 35.6%
Federal 10.0%
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 Paetow H S Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seven Lakes H S | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cinco Ranch H S | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Katy H S | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Taylor H S | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jordan H S | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Paetow H S's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,773
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 3,740
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 3,543
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 3,384
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 3,330
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar high 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 (~3,447 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Paetow H S's federal record.
- Compare Paetow H S against another school. Compare schools
- Katy 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 Paetow H S
How many students attend Paetow H S?
Paetow H S has 3,447 students enrolled. It is a high school in Katy, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Paetow H S?
The student-teacher ratio at Paetow H S is 16.4:1, which is 12% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Paetow H S?
53.1% of students at Paetow H S are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Paetow H S?
The largest demographic group at Paetow H S is Hispanic or Latino at 44.6% of enrollment, in Katy, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Paetow H S?
Paetow H S has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Paetow H S rank among high schools in Katy?
By Resource Investment Index, Paetow H S ranks #10 of 10 high schools in Katy, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Katy on the city page.
Is Paetow H S a good school?
Paetow H S earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Texas schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Texas. 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 Katy Isd?
Besides Paetow H S, Katy Isd also operates Seven Lakes H S (3,773 students), Cinco Ranch H S (3,740 students), and Katy H S (3,543 students). See the Katy 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.