Enrollment
597
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Desoto, TX
Uplift Gradus Preparatory
Federal NCES profile for Uplift Gradus Preparatory, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 480003013275Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 12
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 43
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Uplift Gradus Preparatory earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of Texas schools.
- #6 of 6
- schools in Desoto · Resource Index
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 22.1:1
- large classes for Texas
- 77.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Uplift Gradus Preparatory has class sizes larger than 95% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Uplift Gradus Preparatory ranks #6 of 6 schools in Desoto, TX.
School address
District: Uplift Education · Texas
NCES ID 480003013275 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.1:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+50% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.1%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Uplift Gradus Preparatory compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Uplift Gradus Preparatory
Uplift Gradus Preparatory is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Desoto, Texas, enrolling 597 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22.1:1 is larger than about 95% of Texas schools and 50% above the 14.7:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 77.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 597 students, its enrollment sits close to the Texas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 97% of the 8,960 Texas schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 2,193 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #2,108, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (63%) and Hispanic or Latino (31%) (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 597 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 17.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Uplift Education also operates Uplift Heights Preparatory Pri (944 students) and Uplift Ascend (864 students) alongside Uplift Gradus Preparatory.
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 Uplift Gradus Preparatory compares
Uplift Gradus Preparatory on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22.1:1 | ▲ 50% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.1% | ▲ 25% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 597 | top 38% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.1:1
Leaner classes than 10% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
597
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% 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
22.1:1
students per teacher
- 50% above state mean
Top 95% in Texas - lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
22.9%
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
$11,194
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 597 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.7 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
African American 62.8%
Hispanic or Latino 30.8%
Two or More 5.2%
White 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 62.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.8, Uplift Gradus Preparatory is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Uplift Education, which includes Uplift Gradus Preparatory.
$11,194
Per student
-18%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 1.7%
State 81.3%
Federal 17.1%
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 Uplift Gradus Preparatory Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uplift Heights Preparatory Pri | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Uplift Ascend | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Uplift Education - Uplift Grand Preparatory | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Uplift Luna Preparatory Pri | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Uplift Hampton Preparatory Pri | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Uplift Gradus Preparatory's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 944
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 864
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 727
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 719
- Students per teacher
- 30:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 712
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
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 (~597 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Uplift Gradus Preparatory's federal record.
- Compare Uplift Gradus Preparatory against another school. Compare schools
- Uplift Education'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 Uplift Gradus Preparatory
How many students attend Uplift Gradus Preparatory?
Uplift Gradus Preparatory has 597 students enrolled. It is a public school in Desoto, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Uplift Gradus Preparatory?
The student-teacher ratio at Uplift Gradus Preparatory is 22.1:1, which is 50% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 41% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Uplift Gradus Preparatory?
77.1% of students at Uplift Gradus Preparatory are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Uplift Gradus Preparatory?
The largest demographic group at Uplift Gradus Preparatory is African American at 62.8% of enrollment, in Desoto, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Uplift Gradus Preparatory?
Uplift Gradus Preparatory has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (lower 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 Uplift Gradus Preparatory rank among schools in Desoto?
By Resource Investment Index, Uplift Gradus Preparatory ranks #6 of 6 schools in Desoto, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Desoto on the city page.
Is Uplift Gradus Preparatory a good school?
Uplift Gradus Preparatory earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% 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 Uplift Education?
Besides Uplift Gradus Preparatory, Uplift Education also operates Uplift Heights Preparatory Pri (944 students), Uplift Ascend (864 students), and Uplift Education - Uplift Grand Preparatory (727 students). See the Uplift Education 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.