Enrollment
502
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Abilene, TX
Ward El
Federal NCES profile for Ward El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 480744002238
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 27
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ward El earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Texas schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #5 of 9
- elementary schools in Abilene · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.2:1
- large classes for Texas
- 50.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Ward El has class sizes larger than 73% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ward El ranks #5 of 9 elementary schools in Abilene, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.2%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
-19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ward El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ward El
Ward El is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Abilene, Texas, enrolling 502 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 50.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 502 students, its enrollment sits close to the Texas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Among 1,285 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #1,191, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (39%) and Hispanic or Latino (39%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 502 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 27.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Abilene Isd also operates Abilene H S (1,798 students) and Cooper H S (1,570 students) alongside Ward 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 Ward El compares
Ward 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 | 50.2% | ▼ 19% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 502 | top 50% | - | - |
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.
502
Bigger than 62% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% 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
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
29.1%
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
$11,671
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 502 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
20
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.8 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 39.0%
Hispanic or Latino 39.0%
African American 12.7%
Two or More 4.6%
Asian 4.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 39.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.6, Ward El is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Abilene Isd, which includes Ward El.
$11,671
Per student
-14%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.4%
State 40.5%
Federal 27.2%
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 Ward El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abilene H S | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cooper H S | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mann Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Craig Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Madison Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ward El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,798
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,570
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 776
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 771
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 770
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
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 (~502 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ward El's federal record.
- Compare Ward El against another school. Compare schools
- Abilene 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 Ward El
How many students attend Ward El?
Ward El has 502 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Abilene, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ward El?
The student-teacher ratio at Ward 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 Ward El?
50.2% of students at Ward El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ward El?
The largest demographic group at Ward El is Hispanic or Latino at 39.0% of enrollment, in Abilene, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ward El?
Ward El has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 Ward El rank among elementary schools in Abilene?
By Resource Investment Index, Ward El ranks #5 of 9 elementary schools in Abilene, 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 Abilene on the city page.
Is Ward El a good school?
Ward El earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Texas schools. It is also more 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 Abilene Isd?
Besides Ward El, Abilene Isd also operates Abilene H S (1,798 students), Cooper H S (1,570 students), and Mann Middle (776 students). See the Abilene 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.