Enrollment
249
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Waco, TX
West Avenue El
Federal NCES profile for West Avenue El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 484428008980
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 3
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Avenue El earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% of Texas schools.
- #22 of 32
- schools in Waco · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.4:1
- small classes for Texas
- 94.1%
- free-lunch eligible
West Avenue El has class sizes smaller than 73% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West Avenue El ranks #22 of 32 schools in Waco, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.4:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
94.1%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+52% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Avenue El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Avenue El
West Avenue El is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Waco, Texas, enrolling 249 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 94.1% of students qualify for free meals, 52% above the Texas average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 249 puts it in the smaller third of Texas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 508 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #248.
Its student body is led by African American (47%) and Hispanic or Latino (45%) (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 249 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Waco Isd also operates Waco H S (1,885 students) and University H S (1,752 students) alongside West Avenue 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 West Avenue El compares
West Avenue 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 | 12.4:1 | ▼ 16% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 94.1% | ▲ 52% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 249 | top 80% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.4:1
Leaner classes than 72% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
249
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
94.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 52% above the Texas average of 61.9%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.4:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 27% in Texas - lower ratio than 73% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
39.0%
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
$13,294
per pupil, district-wide
- below Texas avg of $13,644
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 249 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
17
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 46.6%
Hispanic or Latino 45.4%
White 4.8%
Two or More 3.2%
Largest group: African American at 46.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.3, West Avenue El is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waco Isd, which includes West Avenue El.
$13,294
Per student
-3%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 46.6%
State 33.9%
Federal 19.5%
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 West Avenue El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waco H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| University H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tennyson Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bell's Hill El | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cesar Chavez Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Avenue El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,885
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 1,752
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 963
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 786
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 786
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- 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 (~249 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Avenue El's federal record.
- Compare West Avenue El against another school. Compare schools
- Waco 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 West Avenue El
How many students attend West Avenue El?
West Avenue El has 249 students enrolled. It is a public school in Waco, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Avenue El?
The student-teacher ratio at West Avenue El is 12.4:1, which is 16% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 21% 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 West Avenue El?
94.1% of students at West Avenue El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Avenue El?
The largest demographic group at West Avenue El is African American at 46.6% of enrollment, in Waco, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Avenue El?
West Avenue El 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 West Avenue El rank among schools in Waco?
By Resource Investment Index, West Avenue El ranks #22 of 32 schools in Waco, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Waco on the city page.
Is West Avenue El a good school?
West Avenue El earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% 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 Waco Isd?
Besides West Avenue El, Waco Isd also operates Waco H S (1,885 students), University H S (1,752 students), and Tennyson Middle (963 students). See the Waco 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.