Enrollment
1,283
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Houston, TX
Watkins Middle
Federal NCES profile for Watkins 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 481611005687
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 11
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Watkins Middle earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median.
- #43 of 116
- middle schools in Houston · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.9:1
- students per teacher
- 70.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Watkins Middle has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Watkins Middle ranks #43 of 116 middle schools in Houston, TX.
School address
District: Cypress-Fairbanks Isd · Texas
NCES ID 481611005687 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
92.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.9:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.1%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Watkins Middle compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Watkins Middle
Watkins Middle is a higher-need, large middle school in Houston, Texas, enrolling 1,283 students.
At 13.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Texas median, within a few percentage points of the 14.7:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 70.1% lands close to the Texas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Texas, bigger than 93% of state schools at 1,283 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 528 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #139.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (57%) and African American (25%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 444 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Cypress-Fairbanks Isd spends $10,232 per pupil, 25% below the Texas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 15.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 367 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,283 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Cypress-Fairbanks Isd also operates Bridgeland H S (3,707 students) and Cypress Woods H S (3,469 students) alongside Watkins 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 Watkins Middle compares
Watkins 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 | 13.9:1 | ▼ 5% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.1% | ▲ 13% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,283 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.9:1
Leaner classes than 58% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,283
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
70.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% 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
13.9:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 46% in Texas - lower ratio than 54% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
21.9%
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
$10,232
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
Counselors2.9 FTE
Per 444 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
256
in-school suspensions + 111 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 20.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 28.6 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 56.7%
African American 24.6%
White 8.6%
Asian 6.9%
Two or More 2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 56.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.5, Watkins Middle is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cypress-Fairbanks Isd, which includes Watkins Middle.
$10,232
Per student
-25%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-38%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 56.0%
State 28.5%
Federal 15.5%
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 Watkins Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeland H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cypress Woods H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cypress Ranch H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jersey Village H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cypress Creek H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Watkins Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,707
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 3,469
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 3,463
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 3,323
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 3,222
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
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 (~1,283 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Watkins Middle's federal record.
- Compare Watkins Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Cypress-Fairbanks 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 Watkins Middle
How many students attend Watkins Middle?
Watkins Middle has 1,283 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Houston, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Watkins Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Watkins Middle is 13.9:1, which is 5% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Watkins Middle?
70.1% of students at Watkins Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Watkins Middle?
The largest demographic group at Watkins Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 56.7% of enrollment, in Houston, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Watkins Middle?
Watkins 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 Watkins Middle rank among middle schools in Houston?
By Resource Investment Index, Watkins Middle ranks #43 of 116 middle schools in Houston, 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 Houston on the city page.
Is Watkins Middle a good school?
Watkins 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 Cypress-Fairbanks Isd?
Besides Watkins Middle, Cypress-Fairbanks Isd also operates Bridgeland H S (3,707 students), Cypress Woods H S (3,469 students), and Cypress Ranch H S (3,463 students). See the Cypress-Fairbanks 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.