Enrollment
411
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Cleveland, TX
Tarkington Middle
Federal NCES profile for Tarkington Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 484221004803
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 18
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Tarkington Middle earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median.
- #2 of 4
- middle schools in Cleveland · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.2:1
- students per teacher
- 51.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Tarkington Middle has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Tarkington Middle ranks #2 of 4 middle schools in Cleveland, TX.
School address
District: Tarkington Isd · Texas
NCES ID 484221004803 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.7%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
-16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Tarkington Middle compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Tarkington Middle
Tarkington Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Cleveland, Texas, enrolling 411 students.
At 14.2:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Texas median, within a few percentage points of the 14.7:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 51.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 411 students, its enrollment sits close to the Texas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 1,142 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #507.
Its student body is led by White (74%) and Hispanic or Latino (21%) (diversity index 41/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 411 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 23.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 112 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 411 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Tarkington Isd also operates Tarkington El (738 students) and Tarkington H S (544 students) alongside Tarkington 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 Tarkington Middle compares
Tarkington 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 | 14.2:1 | ▼ 3% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.7% | ▼ 16% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 411 | top 62% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.2:1
Leaner classes than 55% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
411
Bigger than 49% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
51.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 16% below the Texas average of 61.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.2:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 50% in Texas - lower ratio than 50% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
18.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,668
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 411 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
80
in-school suspensions + 32 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 19.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 27.3 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
White 74.0%
Hispanic or Latino 20.9%
Two or More 4.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 74.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.7, Tarkington Middle is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tarkington Isd, which includes Tarkington Middle.
$11,668
Per student
-14%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.8%
State 42.8%
Federal 23.3%
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 Tarkington Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tarkington El | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tarkington H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tarkington Early Childhood School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Tarkington Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 738
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 544
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 214
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
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 (~411 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Tarkington Middle's federal record.
- Compare Tarkington Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Tarkington 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 Tarkington Middle
How many students attend Tarkington Middle?
Tarkington Middle has 411 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Cleveland, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Tarkington Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Tarkington Middle is 14.2:1, which is 3% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 10% 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 Tarkington Middle?
51.7% of students at Tarkington Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Tarkington Middle?
The largest demographic group at Tarkington Middle is White at 74.0% of enrollment, in Cleveland, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Tarkington Middle?
Tarkington Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 Tarkington Middle rank among middle schools in Cleveland?
By Resource Investment Index, Tarkington Middle ranks #2 of 4 middle schools in Cleveland, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Cleveland on the city page.
Is Tarkington Middle a good school?
Tarkington Middle earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. 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 Tarkington Isd?
Besides Tarkington Middle, Tarkington Isd also operates Tarkington El (738 students), Tarkington H S (544 students), and Tarkington Early Childhood School (214 students). See the Tarkington 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.