Enrollment
72
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 484496004795
South Palm Gardens H S — Mercedes, TX
Federal NCES profile for South Palm Gardens H S, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 35/100.
👥 Class size 48
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 86
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Weslaco Isd · Texas
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
5.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 14.6:1 Texas avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
89.2%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+44% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Palm Gardens H S compares with Texas and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
South Palm Gardens H S reports 72 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 5.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 13:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 11% below the Texas state mean of 14.6:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 18% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 89.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 44% above the Texas average and 72% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 72 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 40.3% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Weslaco Isd spends $13,175 per pupil district-wide, below the Texas average of $17,150 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 14.7% from local sources (property taxes), 62.2% from the state, and 23.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (F), calculated from 5 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How South Palm Gardens H S compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Texas state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13:1 | ▼ 11% | 14.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 89.2% | ▲ 44% | 61.9% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 72 | top 6% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
89.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 44% 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
13:1
students per teacher
— 11% below state mean
Top 28% in Texas — lower ratio than 72% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
40.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,175
per pupil, district-wide
— below Texas avg of $17,150
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 72 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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
Enrollment 72 Top 6% in Texas — larger than 94% of 9,061 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 5.0
Students per teacher 13:1 -11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 89.2% +44% vs state
NCES ID 484496004795
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 98.6%
White 1.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 98.6% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP program Not offered
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 72:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 40.3%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Weslaco Isd, which includes South Palm Gardens H S.
$13,175
Per student
-23%
vs Texas
Avg $17,150
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 14.7%
State 62.2%
Federal 23.2%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,699
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Enrollment
- 2,066
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Enrollment
- 1,109
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,085
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,060
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
Similar high schools in Mercedes
5 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
South Texas Isd Science Academy
Standard public school
840 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
South Texas Isd Health Professions
Standard public school
781 students 14:1 students per teacher
Mercedes Early College Academy
Alternative education program
355 students 17.7:1 students per teacher
Triumph Public High Schools-Mercedes
Alternative education program
109 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Mercedes Academic Academy
Alternative education program
100 students 18.8:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about South Palm Gardens H S
How many students attend South Palm Gardens H S?
South Palm Gardens H S has 72 students enrolled. It is a high school in MERCEDES, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Palm Gardens H S?
The student-teacher ratio at South Palm Gardens H S is 13:1, which is 11% lower than the Texas average of 14.6:1 and 18% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Palm Gardens H S?
89.2% of students at South Palm Gardens H S are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Palm Gardens H S?
The largest demographic group at South Palm Gardens H S is Hispanic or Latino at 98.6%. The school serves a student body in MERCEDES, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Palm Gardens H S?
South Palm Gardens H S has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (F) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.