2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 480000706343
Panther Creek School — Valera, TX
Federal NCES profile for Panther Creek School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 60/100.
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 →
The verdict
Panther Creek School earns a C+ Resource Investment Index (60/100), with class sizes smaller than 97% of Texas schools.
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.
Enrollment
163
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.3:1
vs 14.6:1 Texas avg
▲-50% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.9%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
▲-10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Panther Creek School compares with Texas and U.S. medians
Smaller classes than state median
14.6:1 Texas median15.7:1 U.S. median
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
Panther Creek School reports 163 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 20.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 7.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 50% 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 15.7:1, it is 54% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 55.9% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 10% below the Texas average and 8% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 163 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 27.6% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Panther Creek Cisd spends $16,091 per pupil district-wide, above the Texas average of $13,644 and below the national average of $16,593. Revenue comes 44.3% from local sources (property taxes), 36.6% from the state, and 19.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 60/100 (C+), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
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
7.3:1
▼ 50%
14.6:1
15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible
55.9%
▼ 10%
61.9%
51.8%
Enrollment
163
top 13%
—
—
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
Class size vs. every US school
Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)
7Among the smallest classessmaller classes than 97% of 92,598 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
School size vs. every US school
Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')
163larger than 16% of 95,891 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 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
55.9%
free-lunch eligible
— 10% 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
7.3:1
students per teacher
— 50% below state mean
Top 3% in Texas — lower ratio than 97% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
27.6%
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
$16,091
per pupil, district-wide
— above Texas avg of $13,644
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 163 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment163 Top 13% in Texas — larger than 87% of 9,061 state schools
Teachers (FTE)20.0
Students per teacher 7.3:1 -50% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 55.9% -10% vs state
NCES ID480000706343
Student demographics
White
73.6% · ≈120 students
Hispanic or Latino
20.9% · ≈34 students
Two or More
4.3% · ≈7 students
African American
1.2% · ≈2 students
White73.6%
Hispanic or Latino20.9%
Two or More4.3%
African American1.2%
Largest group: White at 73.6% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talentedYes
Counselors (FTE)1.0
Students per counselor163:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent27.6%
In-school suspensions11
Out-of-school suspensions2
Expulsions2
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Panther Creek Cisd, which includes Panther Creek School.
$16,091
Per student
+18%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local44.3%
State36.6%
Federal19.1%
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.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Frequently asked questions about Panther Creek School
How many students attend Panther Creek School?
Panther Creek School has 163 students enrolled. It is a other school in Valera, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Panther Creek School?
The student-teacher ratio at Panther Creek School is 7.3:1, which is 50% lower than the Texas average of 14.6:1 and 54% 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 Panther Creek School?
55.9% of students at Panther Creek School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Panther Creek School?
The largest demographic group at Panther Creek School is White at 73.6%. The school serves a diverse student body in Valera, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Panther Creek School?
Panther Creek School has a Resource Investment Index of 60/100 (C+) based on 4 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.
Is Panther Creek School a good school?
Panther Creek School earns a C+ Resource Investment Index (60/100), with class sizes smaller than 97% of Texas schools. The Resource Investment Index reflects staffing, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance reported to NCES, not test scores or academic outcomes, so treat it as a resource snapshot rather than an overall rating.