Enrollment
216
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Daingerfield, TX
South El
Federal NCES profile for South El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 481618006389
👥 S:T ratio 59
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 25
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South El earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% of Texas schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Daingerfield · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.3:1
- small classes for Texas
- 82.1%
- free-lunch eligible
South El has class sizes smaller than 88% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South El ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Daingerfield, TX.
School address
District: Daingerfield-Lone Star Isd · Texas
NCES ID 481618006389 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.3:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
82.1%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at South El
South El is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Daingerfield, Texas, enrolling 216 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.3:1, South El 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 runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 82.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 216 puts it in the smaller third of Texas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 522 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #173.
Its student body is led by African American (37%) and White (32%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 71/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 23.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Daingerfield-Lone Star Isd also operates Daingerfield H S (343 students) and West El (260 students) alongside South 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 South El compares
South 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 | 10.3:1 | ▼ 30% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 82.1% | ▲ 33% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 216 | top 83% | - | - |
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.
216
Bigger than 21% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
82.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 33% above the Texas average of 61.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; 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
30.1%
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
$13,968
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.2 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
African American 36.6%
White 32.4%
Hispanic or Latino 20.8%
Two or More 8.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: African American at 36.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.0, South El is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Daingerfield-Lone Star Isd, which includes South El.
$13,968
Per student
+2%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 46.0%
State 30.2%
Federal 23.8%
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 South El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daingerfield H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West El | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Daingerfield J H | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 343
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 260
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 207
- Students per teacher
- 9.9:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar elementary 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 (~216 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South El's federal record.
- Compare South El against another school. Compare schools
- Daingerfield-Lone Star 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 South El
How many students attend South El?
South El has 216 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Daingerfield, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South El?
The student-teacher ratio at South El 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 South El?
82.1% of students at South El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South El?
The largest demographic group at South El is African American at 36.6% of enrollment, in Daingerfield, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South El?
South El has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (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 South El rank among public schools in Daingerfield?
By Resource Investment Index, South El ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Daingerfield, 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 Daingerfield on the city page.
Is South El a good school?
South El earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% 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 Daingerfield-Lone Star Isd?
Besides South El, Daingerfield-Lone Star Isd also operates Daingerfield H S (343 students), West El (260 students), and Daingerfield J H (207 students). See the Daingerfield-Lone Star 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.