Enrollment
517
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Lindale, TX
Velma Penny El
Federal NCES profile for Velma Penny El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 482751003092
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 68
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Velma Penny El earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median.
- #3 of 3
- elementary schools in Lindale · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.8:1
- students per teacher
- 42.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Velma Penny El has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Velma Penny El ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Lindale, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.8:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.1%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
-32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Velma Penny El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Velma Penny El
Velma Penny El is a mid-sized elementary school in Lindale, Texas, enrolling 517 students.
At 14.8:1, 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 42.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 517 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 1,120 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #524.
Its student body is led by White (63%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%) (diversity index 54/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 517 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
13.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Lindale Isd spends $10,052 per pupil, 26% below the Texas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 15.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Lindale Isd also operates Lindale H S (1,338 students) and E J Moss Int (1,082 students) alongside Velma Penny El.
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 Velma Penny El compares
Velma Penny El on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.8:1 | ▲ 1% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.1% | ▼ 32% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 517 | top 47% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.8:1
Leaner classes than 49% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
517
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 32% 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
14.8:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 57% in Texas - lower ratio than 43% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
13.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$10,052
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 517 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
15
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.9 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 63.4%
Hispanic or Latino 21.7%
Two or More 7.0%
African American 6.2%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 63.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.2, Velma Penny El is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lindale Isd, which includes Velma Penny El.
$10,052
Per student
-26%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-39%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.9%
State 42.3%
Federal 15.7%
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 Velma Penny El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lindale H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| E J Moss Int | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lindale J H | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| College Street El | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Early Childhood Center | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Velma Penny El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,338
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,082
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 695
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 512
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 462
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar elementary 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 (~517 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Velma Penny El's federal record.
- Compare Velma Penny El against another school. Compare schools
- Lindale 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 Velma Penny El
How many students attend Velma Penny El?
Velma Penny El has 517 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Lindale, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Velma Penny El?
The student-teacher ratio at Velma Penny El is 14.8:1, which is 1% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Velma Penny El?
42.1% of students at Velma Penny El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Velma Penny El?
The largest demographic group at Velma Penny El is White at 63.4% of enrollment, in Lindale, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Velma Penny El?
Velma Penny El has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Velma Penny El rank among elementary schools in Lindale?
By Resource Investment Index, Velma Penny El ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Lindale, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Lindale on the city page.
Is Velma Penny El a good school?
Velma Penny El earns 45/100 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 Lindale Isd?
Besides Velma Penny El, Lindale Isd also operates Lindale H S (1,338 students), E J Moss Int (1,082 students), and Lindale J H (695 students). See the Lindale 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.