Enrollment
521
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Cedar Hill, TX
Waterford Oaks El
Federal NCES profile for Waterford Oaks El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 481323021203
👥 S:T ratio 23
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 34
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Waterford Oaks El earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of Texas schools.
- #9 of 9
- schools in Cedar Hill · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.3:1
- large classes for Texas
- 76.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Waterford Oaks El has class sizes larger than 91% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Waterford Oaks El ranks #9 of 9 schools in Cedar Hill, TX.
School address
District: Cedar Hill Isd · Texas
NCES ID 481323021203 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.3:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+31% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
76.3%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Waterford Oaks El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Waterford Oaks El
Waterford Oaks El is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Cedar Hill, Texas, enrolling 521 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.3:1 is larger than about 91% of Texas schools and 31% 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 76.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 521 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 2,103 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #1,708, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (76%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 39/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 521 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Cedar Hill Isd also operates Cedar Hill H S (1,974 students) and Cedar Hill Collegiate Prep (520 students) alongside Waterford Oaks 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 Waterford Oaks El compares
Waterford Oaks 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 | 19.3:1 | ▲ 31% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 76.3% | ▲ 23% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 521 | top 47% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.3:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
521
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
76.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% 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
19.3:1
students per teacher
- 31% above state mean
Top 91% in Texas - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
26.3%
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
$11,130
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 521 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
51
in-school suspensions + 32 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.9 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
African American 76.2%
Hispanic or Latino 18.0%
Two or More 4.0%
White 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 76.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.5, Waterford Oaks El is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cedar Hill Isd, which includes Waterford Oaks El.
$11,130
Per student
-18%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 56.2%
State 23.1%
Federal 20.7%
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 Waterford Oaks El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Hill H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cedar Hill Collegiate Prep | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bessie Coleman Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lakeridge El | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| W S Permenter Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Waterford Oaks El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,974
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 520
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 488
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 466
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 456
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
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 (~521 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Waterford Oaks El's federal record.
- Compare Waterford Oaks El against another school. Compare schools
- Cedar Hill 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 Waterford Oaks El
How many students attend Waterford Oaks El?
Waterford Oaks El has 521 students enrolled. It is a public school in Cedar Hill, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Waterford Oaks El?
The student-teacher ratio at Waterford Oaks El is 19.3:1, which is 31% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 23% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Waterford Oaks El?
76.3% of students at Waterford Oaks El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Waterford Oaks El?
The largest demographic group at Waterford Oaks El is African American at 76.2% of enrollment, in Cedar Hill, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Waterford Oaks El?
Waterford Oaks El has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Waterford Oaks El rank among schools in Cedar Hill?
By Resource Investment Index, Waterford Oaks El ranks #9 of 9 schools in Cedar Hill, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Cedar Hill on the city page.
Is Waterford Oaks El a good school?
Waterford Oaks El earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% 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 Cedar Hill Isd?
Besides Waterford Oaks El, Cedar Hill Isd also operates Cedar Hill H S (1,974 students), Cedar Hill Collegiate Prep (520 students), and Bessie Coleman Middle (488 students). See the Cedar Hill 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.