Enrollment
422
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · So Houston, TX
South Houston El
Federal NCES profile for South Houston El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 483432003848
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 16
📋 Attendance 11
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Houston El earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #3 of 3
- schools in So Houston · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.2:1
- students per teacher
- 88.6%
- free-lunch eligible
South Houston El has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Houston El ranks #3 of 3 schools in So Houston, TX.
School address
District: Pasadena Isd · Texas
NCES ID 483432003848 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.2:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
88.6%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Houston El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Houston El
South Houston El is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in So Houston, Texas, enrolling 422 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 88.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 422 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 1,726 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #1,098.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (91% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 18/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 422 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 24.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Pasadena Isd also operates Dobie H S (3,692 students) and Pasadena Memorial H S (3,177 students) alongside South Houston 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 Houston El compares
South Houston 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 | 13.2:1 | ▼ 10% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 88.6% | ▲ 43% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 422 | top 61% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.2:1
Leaner classes than 65% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
422
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
88.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% 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
13.2:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 36% in Texas - lower ratio than 64% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
35.5%
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
$13,221
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 422 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 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
Hispanic or Latino 90.5%
African American 4.7%
White 4.0%
Two or More 0.5%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 90.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 17.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 17.7, South Houston El is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pasadena Isd, which includes South Houston El.
$13,221
Per student
-3%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.7%
State 43.5%
Federal 24.8%
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 Houston El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dobie H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pasadena Memorial H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sam Rayburn H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pasadena H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| South Houston H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Houston El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,692
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 3,177
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 2,627
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 2,217
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 2,185
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
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 (~422 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Houston El's federal record.
- Compare South Houston El against another school. Compare schools
- Pasadena 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 Houston El
How many students attend South Houston El?
South Houston El has 422 students enrolled. It is a public school in So Houston, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Houston El?
The student-teacher ratio at South Houston El is 13.2:1, which is 10% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 16% 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 Houston El?
88.6% of students at South Houston El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Houston El?
The largest demographic group at South Houston El is Hispanic or Latino at 90.5% of enrollment, in So Houston, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Houston El?
South Houston El has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 South Houston El rank among schools in So Houston?
By Resource Investment Index, South Houston El ranks #3 of 3 schools in So Houston, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in So Houston on the city page.
Is South Houston El a good school?
South Houston El earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. 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 Pasadena Isd?
Besides South Houston El, Pasadena Isd also operates Dobie H S (3,692 students), Pasadena Memorial H S (3,177 students), and Sam Rayburn H S (2,627 students). See the Pasadena 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.