Enrollment
941
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Dripping Springs, TX
Walnut Springs El
Federal NCES profile for Walnut Springs El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 480000806989
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 6
📋 Attendance 66
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Walnut Springs El earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Texas schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Dripping Springs · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.2:1
- large classes for Texas
- 11.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Walnut Springs El has class sizes larger than 73% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Walnut Springs El ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Dripping Springs, TX.
School address
District: Dripping Springs Isd · Texas
NCES ID 480000806989 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
58.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
11.7%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
-81% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Walnut Springs El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Walnut Springs El
Walnut Springs El is a lower-poverty, large combined-grade school in Dripping Springs, Texas, enrolling 941 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 11.7% free-meal eligibility runs 81% below the Texas average.
Enrollment of 941 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 513 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #294.
Its student body is led by White (69%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%) (diversity index 46/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 471 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
13.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Dripping Springs Isd spends $9,912 per pupil, 27% below the Texas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Dripping Springs Isd also operates Dripping Springs H S (2,564 students) and Dripping Springs El (1,104 students) alongside Walnut Springs 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 Walnut Springs El compares
Walnut Springs 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 | 16.2:1 | ▲ 10% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 11.7% | ▼ 81% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 941 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
941
Bigger than 90% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
11.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 81% below the Texas average of 61.9%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 73% in Texas - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
13.8%
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
$9,912
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 471 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
23
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.0 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 69.3%
Hispanic or Latino 23.1%
Two or More 3.6%
Asian 2.4%
African American 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 69.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.4, Walnut Springs El is about as mixed as the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dripping Springs Isd, which includes Walnut Springs El.
$9,912
Per student
-27%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-40%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 84.9%
State 9.1%
Federal 6.0%
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 Walnut Springs El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dripping Springs H S | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dripping Springs El | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sycamore Springs Middle | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dripping Springs Middle | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rooster Springs El | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Walnut Springs El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,564
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,104
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,043
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 917
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 772
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
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 (~941 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Walnut Springs El's federal record.
- Compare Walnut Springs El against another school. Compare schools
- Dripping Springs 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 Walnut Springs El
How many students attend Walnut Springs El?
Walnut Springs El has 941 students enrolled. It is a public school in Dripping Springs, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Walnut Springs El?
The student-teacher ratio at Walnut Springs El is 16.2:1, which is 10% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Walnut Springs El?
11.7% of students at Walnut Springs El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Walnut Springs El?
The largest demographic group at Walnut Springs El is White at 69.3% of enrollment, in Dripping Springs, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Walnut Springs El?
Walnut Springs El has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Walnut Springs El rank among public schools in Dripping Springs?
By Resource Investment Index, Walnut Springs El ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Dripping Springs, 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 Dripping Springs on the city page.
Is Walnut Springs El a good school?
Walnut Springs El earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% 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 Dripping Springs Isd?
Besides Walnut Springs El, Dripping Springs Isd also operates Dripping Springs H S (2,564 students), Dripping Springs El (1,104 students), and Sycamore Springs Middle (1,043 students). See the Dripping Springs 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.