Enrollment
417
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Temple, TX
Western Hills El
Federal NCES profile for Western Hills El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 484233004831
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 17
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Western Hills El earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #5 of 12
- schools in Temple · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.9:1
- students per teacher
- 76.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Western Hills El has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Western Hills El ranks #5 of 12 schools in Temple, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.9:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
76.3%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Western Hills El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Western Hills El
Western Hills El is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Temple, Texas, enrolling 417 students.
At 14.9:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 76.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 417 students, its enrollment sits close to the Texas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 1,722 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #893.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (40%) and White (28%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 71/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 417 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Temple Isd also operates Temple H S (2,320 students) and Thornton El (763 students) alongside Western Hills 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 Western Hills El compares
Western Hills 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 | 14.9:1 | ▲ 1% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 76.3% | ▲ 23% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 417 | top 62% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.9:1
Leaner classes than 48% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
417
Bigger than 50% 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
14.9:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 58% in Texas - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
25.9%
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
$11,894
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 417 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
46
in-school suspensions + 32 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.7 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 39.8%
White 28.3%
African American 22.3%
Two or More 7.2%
Asian 1.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 39.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.6, Western Hills El is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Temple Isd, which includes Western Hills El.
$11,894
Per student
-13%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.7%
State 37.6%
Federal 19.7%
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 Western Hills El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temple H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Thornton El | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Travis Science Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bonham Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lamar Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Western Hills El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,320
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 763
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 686
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 627
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 553
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
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 (~417 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Western Hills El's federal record.
- Compare Western Hills El against another school. Compare schools
- Temple 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 Western Hills El
How many students attend Western Hills El?
Western Hills El has 417 students enrolled. It is a public school in Temple, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Western Hills El?
The student-teacher ratio at Western Hills El is 14.9:1, which is 1% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 5% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Western Hills El?
76.3% of students at Western Hills El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Western Hills El?
The largest demographic group at Western Hills El is Hispanic or Latino at 39.8% of enrollment, in Temple, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Western Hills El?
Western Hills El has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Western Hills El rank among schools in Temple?
By Resource Investment Index, Western Hills El ranks #5 of 12 schools in Temple, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Temple on the city page.
Is Western Hills El a good school?
Western Hills El earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. It is also more 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 Temple Isd?
Besides Western Hills El, Temple Isd also operates Temple H S (2,320 students), Thornton El (763 students), and Travis Science Academy (686 students). See the Temple 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.