Enrollment
114
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Eagle Lake, TX
Rice Challenge Academy
Federal NCES profile for Rice Challenge Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 10/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 483697013214
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rice Challenge Academy earns 10/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of Texas schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Eagle Lake · Resource Index
- 10
- Resource Index · Lower
- 38:1
- large classes for Texas
- 94.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Rice Challenge Academy has class sizes larger than 99% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rice Challenge Academy ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Eagle Lake, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
3.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
38:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+159% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
94.3%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+52% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rice Challenge Academy compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rice Challenge Academy
Rice Challenge Academy is a high-poverty, small high school in Eagle Lake, Texas, enrolling 114 students.
Class loads run heavy: 38:1 is larger than about 99% of Texas schools and 159% above the 14.7:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 94.3% of students qualify for free meals, 52% above the Texas average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 91% of Texas schools, with 114 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 8,960 Texas schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 149 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #142, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (47%) and African American (24%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 75.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Rice Cisd also operates Rice H S (348 students) and Rice Jh (282 students) alongside Rice Challenge Academy.
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 Rice Challenge Academy compares
Rice Challenge Academy on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 38:1 | ▲ 159% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 94.3% | ▲ 52% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 114 | top 91% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
38:1
Leaner classes than 1% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
114
Bigger than 11% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
94.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 52% above the Texas average of 61.9%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
38:1
students per teacher
- 159% above state mean
Top 99% in Texas - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
75.4%
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
$12,682
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
White 47.4%
African American 23.7%
Hispanic or Latino 21.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.5%
Two or More 1.8%
Asian 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%
Largest group: White at 47.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.9, Rice Challenge Academy is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rice Cisd, which includes Rice Challenge Academy.
$12,682
Per student
-7%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 59.5%
State 25.8%
Federal 14.8%
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 Rice Challenge Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rice H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Rice Jh | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Eagle Lake Pri | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Eagle Lake Int | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Garwood El | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rice Challenge Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 348
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 282
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 194
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 166
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 120
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
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 (~114 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~38:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rice Challenge Academy's federal record.
- Compare Rice Challenge Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Rice Cisd'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 Rice Challenge Academy
How many students attend Rice Challenge Academy?
Rice Challenge Academy has 114 students enrolled. It is a high school in Eagle Lake, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rice Challenge Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Rice Challenge Academy is 38:1, which is 159% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 142% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Rice Challenge Academy?
94.3% of students at Rice Challenge Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rice Challenge Academy?
The largest demographic group at Rice Challenge Academy is White at 47.4% of enrollment, in Eagle Lake, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rice Challenge Academy?
Rice Challenge Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 10/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Rice Challenge Academy rank among public schools in Eagle Lake?
By Resource Investment Index, Rice Challenge Academy ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Eagle Lake, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Eagle Lake on the city page.
Is Rice Challenge Academy a good school?
Rice Challenge Academy earns 10/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of Texas schools. 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 Rice Cisd?
Besides Rice Challenge Academy, Rice Cisd also operates Rice H S (348 students), Rice Jh (282 students), and Eagle Lake Pri (194 students). See the Rice Cisd 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.