Enrollment
489
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Big Spring, TX
Washington El
Federal NCES profile for Washington El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 481020000482
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 75
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Washington El earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of Texas schools.
- #3 of 5
- elementary schools in Big Spring · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 27.2:1
- large classes for Texas
- 75.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Washington El has class sizes larger than 98% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Washington El ranks #3 of 5 elementary schools in Big Spring, TX.
School address
District: Big Spring Isd · Texas
NCES ID 481020000482 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27.2:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+85% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
75.8%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Washington El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Washington El
Washington El is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Big Spring, Texas, enrolling 489 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27.2:1 is larger than about 98% of Texas schools and 85% above the 14.7:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 75.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 489 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.
Against 1,992 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #1,376.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (70%) and White (21%) (diversity index 46/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 978 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
10.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 18.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Big Spring Isd also operates Big Spring H S (982 students) and Big Spring Int (522 students) alongside Washington 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 Washington El compares
Washington 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 | 27.2:1 | ▲ 85% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 75.8% | ▲ 22% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 489 | top 52% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27.2:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
489
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
75.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% 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
27.2:1
students per teacher
- 85% above state mean
Top 98% in Texas - lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
10.0%
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
$11,554
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.7 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
Hispanic or Latino 69.9%
White 21.3%
African American 3.9%
Two or More 3.9%
Asian 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 69.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.3, Washington 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 Big Spring Isd, which includes Washington El.
$11,554
Per student
-15%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 64.1%
State 17.1%
Federal 18.8%
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 Washington El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Spring H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Big Spring Int | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Marcy El | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Big Spring J H | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Moss El | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Washington El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 982
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 522
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 513
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 490
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 380
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- 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 (~489 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~27.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Washington El's federal record.
- Compare Washington El against another school. Compare schools
- Big Spring 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 Washington El
How many students attend Washington El?
Washington El has 489 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Big Spring, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Washington El?
The student-teacher ratio at Washington El is 27.2:1, which is 85% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 73% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Washington El?
75.8% of students at Washington El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Washington El?
The largest demographic group at Washington El is Hispanic or Latino at 69.9% of enrollment, in Big Spring, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Washington El?
Washington El has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Washington El rank among elementary schools in Big Spring?
By Resource Investment Index, Washington El ranks #3 of 5 elementary schools in Big Spring, 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 Big Spring on the city page.
Is Washington El a good school?
Washington El earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% 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 Big Spring Isd?
Besides Washington El, Big Spring Isd also operates Big Spring H S (982 students), Big Spring Int (522 students), and Marcy El (513 students). See the Big Spring 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.