Enrollment
9
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · San Antonio, TX
Stepping Stones Academy
Federal NCES profile for Stepping Stones Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 480140413750Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 82
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 98
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Stepping Stones Academy earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of Texas schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Texas.
- #25 of 327
- schools in San Antonio · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 4.5:1
- small classes for Texas
- 87.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Stepping Stones Academy has class sizes smaller than 99% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Stepping Stones Academy ranks #25 of 327 schools in San Antonio, TX.
School address
District: Meadowland Charter District · Texas
NCES ID 480140413750 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
2.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
4.5:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-69% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
87.0%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Stepping Stones Academy compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Stepping Stones Academy
Stepping Stones Academy is a high-poverty, small charter combined-grade school in San Antonio, Texas, enrolling 9 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 4.5:1, Stepping Stones Academy is leaner than roughly 99% of Texas schools and 69% 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 87.0% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 97% of Texas schools, with 9 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 20 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #12.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (89% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 20/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 9 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 66.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Meadowland Charter District spends $29,342 per pupil, 115% above the Texas average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 48.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Its district, Meadowland Charter District, also runs Oaks Academy (36 students).
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 Stepping Stones Academy compares
Stepping Stones Academy on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 4.5:1 | ▼ 69% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 87.0% | ▲ 41% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 9 | top 97% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
4.5:1
Leaner classes than 99% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
9
Bigger than 1% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
87.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% 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
4.5:1
students per teacher
- 69% below state mean
Top 1% in Texas - lower ratio than 99% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
66.7%
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
$29,342
per pupil, district-wide
- above Texas avg of $13,644
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 9 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
- 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 88.9%
African American 11.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 88.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 19.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 19.7, Stepping Stones Academy is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Meadowland Charter District, which includes Stepping Stones Academy.
$29,342
Per student
+115%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
+77%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 1.3%
State 50.0%
Federal 48.7%
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 Stepping Stones Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oaks Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Stepping Stones Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 36
- Students per teacher
- 4.5:1
- 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 (~9 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Stepping Stones Academy's federal record.
- Compare Stepping Stones Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Meadowland Charter District'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 Stepping Stones Academy
How many students attend Stepping Stones Academy?
Stepping Stones Academy has 9 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in San Antonio, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Stepping Stones Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Stepping Stones Academy is 4.5:1, which is 69% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 71% 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 Stepping Stones Academy?
87.0% of students at Stepping Stones Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Stepping Stones Academy?
The largest demographic group at Stepping Stones Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 88.9% of enrollment, in San Antonio, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Stepping Stones Academy?
Stepping Stones Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher 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 Stepping Stones Academy rank among schools in San Antonio?
By Resource Investment Index, Stepping Stones Academy ranks #25 of 327 schools in San Antonio, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in San Antonio on the city page.
Is Stepping Stones Academy a good school?
Stepping Stones Academy earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of Texas schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Texas. 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 Meadowland Charter District?
Besides Stepping Stones Academy, Meadowland Charter District also operates Oaks Academy (36 students). See the Meadowland Charter District 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.