Enrollment
631
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Harlingen, TX
Vernon Middle
Federal NCES profile for Vernon Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 482253002290
👥 S:T ratio 56
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Vernon Middle earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of Texas schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #2 of 6
- middle schools in Harlingen · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.9:1
- small classes for Texas
- 86.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Vernon Middle has class sizes smaller than 85% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Vernon Middle ranks #2 of 6 middle schools in Harlingen, TX.
School address
District: Harlingen Cisd · Texas
NCES ID 482253002290 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
58.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.9:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
86.4%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Vernon Middle compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Vernon Middle
Vernon Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Harlingen, Texas, enrolling 631 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.9:1, Vernon Middle is leaner than roughly 85% of Texas schools and 26% under the state's 14.7:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 86.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 631 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 2,093 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #530.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (97% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 7/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 274 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 25.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 181 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 631 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 35 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Harlingen Cisd also operates Harlingen H S (2,433 students) and Harlingen H S - South (2,019 students) alongside Vernon 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 Vernon Middle compares
Vernon 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 | 10.9:1 | ▼ 26% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 86.4% | ▲ 40% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 631 | top 34% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.9:1
Leaner classes than 84% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
631
Bigger than 75% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
86.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% 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
10.9:1
students per teacher
- 26% below state mean
Top 15% in Texas - lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
40.1%
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
$12,718
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
Counselors2.3 FTE
Per 274 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
146
in-school suspensions + 35 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 23.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 28.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 35 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 96.5%
White 2.9%
Two or More 0.5%
African American 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 96.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 6.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 6.8, Vernon Middle is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Harlingen Cisd, which includes Vernon Middle.
$12,718
Per student
-7%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.8%
State 52.6%
Federal 25.6%
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 Vernon Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harlingen H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Harlingen H S - South | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dr Abraham P Cano Freshman Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Moises Vela Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Treasure Hills El | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Vernon Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,433
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,019
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,188
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 761
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 758
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- 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 (~631 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Vernon Middle's federal record.
- Compare Vernon Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Harlingen Cisd'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 Vernon Middle
How many students attend Vernon Middle?
Vernon Middle has 631 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Harlingen, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Vernon Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Vernon Middle is 10.9:1, which is 26% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 31% 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 Vernon Middle?
86.4% of students at Vernon Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Vernon Middle?
The largest demographic group at Vernon Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 96.5% of enrollment, in Harlingen, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Vernon Middle?
Vernon Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Vernon Middle rank among middle schools in Harlingen?
By Resource Investment Index, Vernon Middle ranks #2 of 6 middle schools in Harlingen, 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 Harlingen on the city page.
Is Vernon Middle a good school?
Vernon Middle earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% 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 Harlingen Cisd?
Besides Vernon Middle, Harlingen Cisd also operates Harlingen H S (2,433 students), Harlingen H S - South (2,019 students), and Dr Abraham P Cano Freshman Academy (1,188 students). See the Harlingen Cisd 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.