Enrollment
587
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Wylie, TX
Rita Smith El
Federal NCES profile for Rita Smith El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 61/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 484653010521
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 78
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rita Smith El earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Texas schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #2 of 9
- schools in Wylie · Resource Index
- 61
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.9:1
- large classes for Texas
- 19.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Rita Smith El has class sizes larger than 70% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rita Smith El ranks #2 of 9 schools in Wylie, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.6%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
-68% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rita Smith El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rita Smith El
Rita Smith El is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Wylie, Texas, enrolling 587 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 19.6% free-meal eligibility runs 68% below the Texas average.
With 587 students, its enrollment sits close to the Texas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 93% of the 8,960 Texas schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 714 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #14, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (43%) and Asian (21%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 72/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.9% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Wylie Isd spends $10,913 per pupil, 20% below the Texas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Wylie Isd also operates Wylie H S (3,189 students) and Wylie East H S (2,709 students) alongside Rita Smith 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 Rita Smith El compares
Rita Smith 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 | 15.9:1 | ▲ 8% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.6% | ▼ 68% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 587 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
587
Bigger than 71% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
19.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 68% below the Texas average of 61.9%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 70% in Texas - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
8.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$10,913
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
10
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.9 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
White 43.4%
Asian 20.8%
Hispanic or Latino 15.0%
African American 14.3%
Two or More 5.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 43.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.2, Rita Smith El is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wylie Isd, which includes Rita Smith El.
$10,913
Per student
-20%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 51.0%
State 38.7%
Federal 10.3%
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 Rita Smith El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wylie H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wylie East H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ab Harrison Int | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Grady Burnett J H | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Raymond B Cooper J H | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rita Smith El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,189
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,709
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,093
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,064
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,019
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar other 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 (~587 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rita Smith El's federal record.
- Compare Rita Smith El against another school. Compare schools
- Wylie 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 Rita Smith El
How many students attend Rita Smith El?
Rita Smith El has 587 students enrolled. It is a public school in Wylie, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rita Smith El?
The student-teacher ratio at Rita Smith El is 15.9:1, which is 8% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Rita Smith El?
19.6% of students at Rita Smith El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rita Smith El?
The largest demographic group at Rita Smith El is White at 43.4% of enrollment, in Wylie, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rita Smith El?
Rita Smith El has a Resource Investment Index of 61/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Rita Smith El rank among schools in Wylie?
By Resource Investment Index, Rita Smith El ranks #2 of 9 schools in Wylie, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Wylie on the city page.
Is Rita Smith El a good school?
Rita Smith El earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% 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 Wylie Isd?
Besides Rita Smith El, Wylie Isd also operates Wylie H S (3,189 students), Wylie East H S (2,709 students), and Ab Harrison Int (1,093 students). See the Wylie 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.