Enrollment
757
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Dallas, TX
W H Gaston Middle
Federal NCES profile for W H Gaston 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 481623001261
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 37
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
W H Gaston Middle earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median.
- #38 of 52
- middle schools in Dallas · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.1:1
- students per teacher
- 88.7%
- free-lunch eligible
W H Gaston Middle has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, W H Gaston Middle ranks #38 of 52 middle schools in Dallas, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
50.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.1:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
88.7%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How W H Gaston Middle compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at W H Gaston Middle
W H Gaston Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Dallas, Texas, enrolling 757 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 88.7% of students qualify for free meals, 43% above the Texas average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 757 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 1,620 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #367.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 30/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 379 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.4% 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.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Dallas Isd also operates Skyline H S (3,837 students) and Bryan Adams H S Leadership Academy (2,208 students) alongside W H Gaston 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 W H Gaston Middle compares
W H Gaston 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 | 15.1:1 | ▲ 3% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 88.7% | ▲ 43% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 757 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.1:1
Leaner classes than 46% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
757
Bigger than 83% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
88.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% 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
15.1:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 61% in Texas - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
25.4%
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 379 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 24 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 82.7%
African American 12.4%
White 2.9%
Two or More 1.1%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 82.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.0, W H Gaston Middle is less 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 W H Gaston 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 W H Gaston Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skyline H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bryan Adams H S Leadership Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar 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 | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to W H Gaston 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 (~757 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on W H Gaston Middle's federal record.
- Compare W H Gaston 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 W H Gaston Middle
How many students attend W H Gaston Middle?
W H Gaston Middle has 757 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Dallas, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at W H Gaston Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at W H Gaston Middle is 15.1:1, which is 3% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at W H Gaston Middle?
88.7% of students at W H Gaston Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of W H Gaston Middle?
The largest demographic group at W H Gaston Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 82.7% of enrollment, in Dallas, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for W H Gaston Middle?
W H Gaston 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 W H Gaston Middle rank among middle schools in Dallas?
By Resource Investment Index, W H Gaston Middle ranks #38 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 W H Gaston Middle a good school?
W H Gaston Middle earns 43/100 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 Dallas Isd?
Besides W H Gaston 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.