Enrollment
373
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Dallas, TX
Thomas J Rusk Middle
Federal NCES profile for Thomas J Rusk Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 481623001347
👥 S:T ratio 64
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 63
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thomas J Rusk Middle earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 93% of Texas schools.
- #19 of 52
- middle schools in Dallas · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 9.1:1
- small classes for Texas
- 93.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Thomas J Rusk Middle has class sizes smaller than 93% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thomas J Rusk Middle ranks #19 of 52 middle schools in Dallas, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.1:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-38% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
93.0%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thomas J Rusk Middle compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thomas J Rusk Middle
Thomas J Rusk Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Dallas, Texas, enrolling 373 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9.1:1, Thomas J Rusk Middle is leaner than roughly 93% of Texas schools and 38% under the state's 14.7:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 93.0% of students qualify for free meals, 50% above the Texas average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 373 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 1,281 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #158.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (66%) and African American (30%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 187 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 65.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Dallas Isd also operates Skyline H S (3,837 students) and Bryan Adams H S Leadership Academy (2,208 students) alongside Thomas J Rusk 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 Thomas J Rusk Middle compares
Thomas J Rusk 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 | 9.1:1 | ▼ 38% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 93.0% | ▲ 50% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 373 | top 67% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.1:1
Leaner classes than 92% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
373
Bigger than 43% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
93.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% above the Texas average of 61.9%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
9.1:1
students per teacher
- 38% below state mean
Top 7% in Texas - lower ratio than 93% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
65.4%
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
$12,650
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 187 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
19
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.5 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 65.7%
African American 30.0%
White 2.4%
Asian 0.8%
Two or More 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 65.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.8, Thomas J Rusk Middle is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dallas Isd, which includes Thomas J Rusk Middle.
$12,650
Per student
-7%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 72.4%
State 8.0%
Federal 19.6%
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 Thomas J Rusk Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skyline H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bryan Adams H S Leadership Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| W T White H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sunset H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Moises E Molina H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thomas J Rusk Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,837
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 2,208
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,204
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,164
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 2,006
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
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 (~373 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~9.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thomas J Rusk Middle's federal record.
- Compare Thomas J Rusk Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Dallas 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 Thomas J Rusk Middle
How many students attend Thomas J Rusk Middle?
Thomas J Rusk Middle has 373 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Dallas, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thomas J Rusk Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Thomas J Rusk Middle is 9.1:1, which is 38% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 42% 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 Thomas J Rusk Middle?
93.0% of students at Thomas J Rusk Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thomas J Rusk Middle?
The largest demographic group at Thomas J Rusk Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 65.7% of enrollment, in Dallas, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thomas J Rusk Middle?
Thomas J Rusk Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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 Thomas J Rusk Middle rank among middle schools in Dallas?
By Resource Investment Index, Thomas J Rusk Middle ranks #19 of 52 middle schools in Dallas, 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 Dallas on the city page.
Is Thomas J Rusk Middle a good school?
Thomas J Rusk Middle earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 93% of 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 Dallas Isd?
Besides Thomas J Rusk Middle, Dallas Isd also operates Skyline H S (3,837 students), Bryan Adams H S Leadership Academy (2,208 students), and W T White H S (2,204 students). See the Dallas 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.