Enrollment
285
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Muleshoe, TX
Watson J H
Federal NCES profile for Watson J H, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 60/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 483189003548
👥 S:T ratio 58
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 54
📋 Attendance 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Watson J H earns 60/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 87% of Texas schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Muleshoe · Resource Index
- 60
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.6:1
- small classes for Texas
- 87.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Watson J H has class sizes smaller than 87% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Watson J H ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Muleshoe, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.6:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
87.5%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Watson J H compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Watson J H
Watson J H is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Muleshoe, Texas, enrolling 285 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.6:1, Watson J H is leaner than roughly 87% of Texas schools and 28% under the state's 14.7:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 87.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 285 puts it in the smaller third of Texas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 92% of the 8,960 Texas schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 871 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #39, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (90% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 19/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 228 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
16.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 22.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 65 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 285 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Muleshoe Isd also operates Dillman El (400 students) and Muleshoe H S (341 students) alongside Watson J H.
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 Watson J H compares
Watson J H on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.6:1 | ▼ 28% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 87.5% | ▲ 41% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 285 | top 77% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.6:1
Leaner classes than 85% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
285
Bigger than 30% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
87.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% 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
10.6:1
students per teacher
- 28% below state mean
Top 13% in Texas - lower ratio than 87% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
16.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,747
per pupil, district-wide
- above Texas avg of $13,644
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.3 FTE
Per 228 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
55
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 19.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 22.8 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
Hispanic or Latino 89.8%
White 9.1%
Asian 0.7%
African American 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 89.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.5, Watson J H is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Muleshoe Isd, which includes Watson J H.
$13,747
Per student
+1%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.1%
State 57.4%
Federal 22.6%
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 Watson J H Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dillman El | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Muleshoe H S | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mary Deshazo El | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Watson J H's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 400
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 341
- Students per teacher
- 9.7:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 304
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
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 (~285 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Watson J H's federal record.
- Compare Watson J H against another school. Compare schools
- Muleshoe 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 Watson J H
How many students attend Watson J H?
Watson J H has 285 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Muleshoe, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Watson J H?
The student-teacher ratio at Watson J H is 10.6:1, which is 28% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 32% 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 Watson J H?
87.5% of students at Watson J H are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Watson J H?
The largest demographic group at Watson J H is Hispanic or Latino at 89.8% of enrollment, in Muleshoe, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Watson J H?
Watson J H has a Resource Investment Index of 60/100 (higher 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 Watson J H rank among public schools in Muleshoe?
By Resource Investment Index, Watson J H ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Muleshoe, 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 Muleshoe on the city page.
Is Watson J H a good school?
Watson J H earns 60/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 87% of Texas schools. It is also less 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 Muleshoe Isd?
Besides Watson J H, Muleshoe Isd also operates Dillman El (400 students), Muleshoe H S (341 students), and Mary Deshazo El (304 students). See the Muleshoe 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.