Enrollment
390
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Mercedes, TX
Sgt William G Harrell Middle
Federal NCES profile for Sgt William G Harrell Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 483025010820
👥 S:T ratio 59
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 22
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sgt William G Harrell Middle earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% of Texas schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #10 of 15
- public schools in Mercedes · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.3:1
- small classes for Texas
- 93.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Sgt William G Harrell Middle has class sizes smaller than 88% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sgt William G Harrell Middle ranks #10 of 15 public schools in Mercedes, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.3:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
93.3%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sgt William G Harrell Middle compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sgt William G Harrell Middle
Sgt William G Harrell Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Mercedes, Texas, enrolling 390 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.3:1, Sgt William G Harrell Middle is leaner than roughly 88% of Texas schools and 30% under the state's 14.7:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 93.3% of students qualify for free meals, 51% above the Texas average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 390 students, its enrollment sits close to the Texas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 1,376 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #761.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (97% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 6/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 390 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 55.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 32.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Mercedes Isd also operates Mercedes H S (903 students) and Sgt Manuel Chacon Middle (518 students) alongside Sgt William G Harrell 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 Sgt William G Harrell Middle compares
Sgt William G Harrell 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 | 10.3:1 | ▼ 30% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 93.3% | ▲ 51% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 390 | top 65% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.3:1
Leaner classes than 87% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
390
Bigger than 46% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
93.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% 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
10.3:1
students per teacher
- 30% below state mean
Top 12% in Texas - lower ratio than 88% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
55.1%
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
$14,238
per pupil, district-wide
- above Texas avg of $13,644
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 390 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
12
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 96.9%
White 2.6%
African American 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 96.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 6.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 6.0, Sgt William G Harrell Middle is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mercedes Isd, which includes Sgt William G Harrell Middle.
$14,238
Per student
+4%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.0%
State 54.9%
Federal 32.1%
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.
How Sgt William G Harrell Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sgt Manuel Chacon Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Travis El | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ruben Hinojosa El | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Taylor El | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sgt William G Harrell Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 903
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 518
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 478
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 468
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 406
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
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 (~390 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sgt William G Harrell Middle's federal record.
- Compare Sgt William G Harrell Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Mercedes 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 Sgt William G Harrell Middle
How many students attend Sgt William G Harrell Middle?
Sgt William G Harrell Middle has 390 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Mercedes, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sgt William G Harrell Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Sgt William G Harrell Middle is 10.3:1, which is 30% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 34% 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 Sgt William G Harrell Middle?
93.3% of students at Sgt William G Harrell Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sgt William G Harrell Middle?
The largest demographic group at Sgt William G Harrell Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 96.9% of enrollment, in Mercedes, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sgt William G Harrell Middle?
Sgt William G Harrell Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Sgt William G Harrell Middle rank among public schools in Mercedes?
By Resource Investment Index, Sgt William G Harrell Middle ranks #10 of 15 public schools in Mercedes, 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 Mercedes on the city page.
Is Sgt William G Harrell Middle a good school?
Sgt William G Harrell Middle earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% of Texas schools. It is also less 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 Mercedes Isd?
Besides Sgt William G Harrell Middle, Mercedes Isd also operates Mercedes H S (903 students), Sgt Manuel Chacon Middle (518 students), and Travis El (478 students). See the Mercedes 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.