Enrollment
644
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Austin, TX
Wayside Real Learning Academy
Federal NCES profile for Wayside Real Learning Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 480004412758Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 4
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 42
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wayside Real Learning Academy earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Texas schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #153 of 162
- schools in Austin · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.9:1
- large classes for Texas
- 78.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Wayside Real Learning Academy has class sizes larger than 97% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wayside Real Learning Academy ranks #153 of 162 schools in Austin, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.9:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+63% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
78.7%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wayside Real Learning Academy compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wayside Real Learning Academy
Wayside Real Learning Academy is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Austin, Texas, enrolling 644 students.
Class loads run heavy: 23.9:1 is larger than about 97% of Texas schools and 63% 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 78.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 644 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 95% of the 8,960 Texas schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 2,177 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #1,974, in the lower tier 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 18/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Wayside Schools spends $10,946 per pupil, 20% below the Texas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 27.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Wayside Schools also operates Wayside Sci-Tech Middle and H S (554 students) and Wayside Altamira Academy (354 students) alongside Wayside Real Learning Academy.
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 Wayside Real Learning Academy compares
Wayside Real Learning Academy on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 23.9:1 | ▲ 63% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 78.7% | ▲ 27% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 644 | top 32% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.9:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
644
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
78.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% 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
23.9:1
students per teacher
- 63% above state mean
Top 97% in Texas - lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
23.1%
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
$10,946
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
14
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.0 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 90.2%
African American 4.7%
White 3.1%
Two or More 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 90.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.3, Wayside Real Learning Academy is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wayside Schools, which includes Wayside Real Learning Academy.
$10,946
Per student
-20%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 2.8%
State 69.2%
Federal 27.9%
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 Wayside Real Learning Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayside Sci-Tech Middle and H S | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Wayside Altamira Academy | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Wayside Eden Park Academy | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wayside Real Learning Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 554
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 354
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 235
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
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 (~644 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wayside Real Learning Academy's federal record.
- Compare Wayside Real Learning Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Wayside Schools'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 Wayside Real Learning Academy
How many students attend Wayside Real Learning Academy?
Wayside Real Learning Academy has 644 students enrolled. It is a public school in Austin, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wayside Real Learning Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Wayside Real Learning Academy is 23.9:1, which is 63% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 52% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Wayside Real Learning Academy?
78.7% of students at Wayside Real Learning Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wayside Real Learning Academy?
The largest demographic group at Wayside Real Learning Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 90.2% of enrollment, in Austin, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wayside Real Learning Academy?
Wayside Real Learning Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Wayside Real Learning Academy rank among schools in Austin?
By Resource Investment Index, Wayside Real Learning Academy ranks #153 of 162 schools in Austin, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Austin on the city page.
Is Wayside Real Learning Academy a good school?
Wayside Real Learning Academy earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% 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 Wayside Schools?
Besides Wayside Real Learning Academy, Wayside Schools also operates Wayside Sci-Tech Middle and H S (554 students), Wayside Altamira Academy (354 students), and Wayside Eden Park Academy (235 students). See the Wayside Schools 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.