Enrollment
167
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Rio Bravo, TX
United Step Academy
Federal NCES profile for United Step Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 73/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 484365008405
👥 S:T ratio 65
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 83
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
United Step Academy earns 73/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 94% of Texas schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Rio Bravo · Resource Index
- 73
- Resource Index · Higher
- 8.8:1
- small classes for Texas
- 90.9%
- free-lunch eligible
United Step Academy has class sizes smaller than 94% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, United Step Academy ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Rio Bravo, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.8:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-40% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
90.9%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+47% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How United Step Academy compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at United Step Academy
United Step Academy is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Rio Bravo, Texas, enrolling 167 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8.8:1, United Step Academy is leaner than roughly 94% of Texas schools and 40% under the state's 14.7:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 90.9% of students qualify for free meals, 47% above the Texas average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 167 puts it in the smaller third of Texas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 99% of the 8,960 Texas schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 261 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #11, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (100% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 0/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 84 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Its district draws 25.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 41 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 167 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 8 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
United Isd also operates United H S (3,463 students) and United South H S (3,252 students) alongside United Step Academy.
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 United Step Academy compares
United Step 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 | 8.8:1 | ▼ 40% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 90.9% | ▲ 47% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 167 | top 87% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8.8:1
Leaner classes than 93% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
167
Bigger than 16% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
90.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 47% 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
8.8:1
students per teacher
- 40% below state mean
Top 6% in Texas - lower ratio than 94% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$12,465
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 84 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 39 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 24.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 8 expulsions.
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 100.0%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 100.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 0.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 0.0, United Step Academy is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for United Isd, which includes United Step Academy.
$12,465
Per student
-9%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.4%
State 35.9%
Federal 25.7%
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 United Step Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| United H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| United South H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lyndon B Johnson | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| John B Alexander H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Elias Herrera Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to United Step Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,463
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 3,252
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 3,240
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 3,171
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,146
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
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 (~167 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~8.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on United Step Academy's federal record.
- Compare United Step Academy against another school. Compare schools
- United 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 United Step Academy
How many students attend United Step Academy?
United Step Academy has 167 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Rio Bravo, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at United Step Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at United Step Academy is 8.8:1, which is 40% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 44% 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 United Step Academy?
90.9% of students at United Step Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of United Step Academy?
The largest demographic group at United Step Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 100.0% of enrollment, in Rio Bravo, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for United Step Academy?
United Step Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 73/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does United Step Academy rank among public schools in Rio Bravo?
By Resource Investment Index, United Step Academy ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Rio Bravo, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Rio Bravo on the city page.
Is United Step Academy a good school?
United Step Academy earns 73/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 94% of Texas schools. 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 United Isd?
Besides United Step Academy, United Isd also operates United H S (3,463 students), United South H S (3,252 students), and Lyndon B Johnson (3,240 students). See the United 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.