Waco ISD (WISD)
Waco, Texas · McLennan County · Grades Pre-K–12
Waco ISD runs 23 schools (15 elementary, 3 middle, 4 high, 1 other) with 13,376 students. By enrollment it is the 96th largest of 1210 districts in Texas, where the median district has 886 students. NCES classifies its area as city, midsize.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Rank compares the 1210 Texas districts listed on this site.
District at a glance
| Schools | 23 |
| Students | 13,376 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 921.9 |
| Students per teacher | 14.5 (state 14.9) |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligible | 88.1% (state 61.6%) |
| County | McLennan County |
| Area type | City, midsize |
| NCES district ID | 4844280 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25, totals of the district's schools. Students per teacher = students ÷ full-time-equivalent teachers.
Schools in Waco ISD
| School | Level | Grades | Students | Per teacher | Free/reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alta Vista Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 479 | 14.5 | 90.4% |
| Bell's Hill Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 786 | 15.7 | 95.5% |
| Bill Logue Detention Center | High | 7–11 | 11 | 91.7 | 72.7% |
| Brook Avenue Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 356 | 17 | 97.8% |
| Cedar Ridge Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 446 | 15.5 | 95.1% |
| Cesar Chavez Middle School | Middle | 6–8 | 786 | 13.9 | 93.5% |
| Challenge Academy | High | 7–12 | 52 | 13.4 | 92.3% |
| Crestview Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 464 | 15.5 | 95.3% |
| Dean Highland Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 617 | 17.2 | 94.8% |
| G L Wiley Opportunity Center | Other | 2–12 | 98 | 6.5 | 81.6% |
| G W Carver Middle School | Middle | 6–8 | 723 | 13 | 96.3% |
| Hillcrest Pds Magnet | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 431 | 14.8 | 63.3% |
| J H Hines Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 379 | 19.4 | 98.4% |
| Kendrick Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 446 | 14.4 | 94.2% |
| Lake Air Montessori School | Elementary | Pre-K–8 | 734 | 13.4 | 68.1% |
| Mountainview Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 349 | 13.7 | 84.8% |
| Parkdale Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 497 | 13.8 | 92.4% |
| Provident Heights Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 383 | 14.7 | 94.3% |
| South Waco Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 490 | 18.1 | 97.1% |
| Tennyson Middle School | Middle | 6–8 | 963 | 15.6 | 81.9% |
| University High School | High | 9–12 | 1,752 | 14.2 | 83.9% |
| Waco High School | High | 9–12 | 1,885 | 13.4 | 83.7% |
| West Avenue Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 249 | 13.8 | 96.4% |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25.
Map of Waco ISD schools
Locations: NCES EDGE. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Waco ISD in context
Size
Waco ISD enrolls 0.2% of Texas' 5,544,769 public school students and is larger than the median district (886 students). Its schools average 582 students, against 626 for a Texas public school. The largest is Waco High School (1,885) and the smallest is Bill Logue Detention Center (11).
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 enrollment. Share = district students ÷ all students in Texas schools listed here; averages = students ÷ schools.
Grades
Grade 9 is its largest grade, with 1,192 students this year. Grade 12 has 710 students and kindergarten has 993, 28% fewer in the later grade. Each grade is a different group of students, so this is not a dropout or growth rate. Waco ISD enrolls 819 children in pre-K.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership by grade, all schools in the district.
Students
Hispanic students are the largest group in Waco ISD at 62.5%, above their 53.5% share of Texas public school students. Black students make up 26.8%.
88.1% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, against 61.6% statewide. By school, the share runs from 63.3% at Hillcrest Pds Magnet to 98.4% at J H Hines Elementary School.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership and school lunch program data. District and state shares weight each school by its enrollment.
Staff
Its 921.9 full-time-equivalent teachers work out to 14.5 students per teacher, close to the state's 14.9. With 32.5 counselors it has 412 students per counselor; the median Texas district has 379, and the American School Counselor Association recommends no more than 250. It reports 14.5 librarians or media specialists and 6 school psychologists.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 district staff file (full-time equivalents). Students per counselor = district students ÷ counselors. Benchmark: American School Counselor Association, 250 students per counselor.
Location
NCES classifies Waco ISD's area as city, midsize: inside a principal city of 100,000 to 250,000 people. The nearest district is Rapoport Academy Public School, 2.5 miles away with 898 students. 26 districts are within 25 miles, and 1 of them enrolls more students than Waco ISD. McLennan County has 20 districts on this site.
Source: NCES EDGE locations and locale codes, 2024-25. Distances are straight lines between the average locations of each district's schools.
Staff
| Role | Full-time equivalent | Students per staff member |
|---|---|---|
| Teachers | 851.8 | 16 |
| School counselors | 32.5 | 412 |
| Librarians and media specialists | 14.5 | 922 |
| School psychologists | 6 | 2,229 |
| Instructional aides | 287.5 | 47 |
| Other student support staff | 148 | 90 |
| School administrators | 53 | 252 |
| District administrators | 9 | 1,486 |
| All staff | 2,121.3 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 district staff file. Students per staff member = district students ÷ full-time-equivalent staff in that role. The median Texas district has 379 students per counselor.
Students by race and ethnicity
| Hispanic | 62.5% |
| Black | 26.8% |
| White | 7.6% |
| Two or more races | 2.7% |
| Asian | 0.3% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 0.2% |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership, all schools in the district.
Students by grade
| Pre-K | 819 |
| Kindergarten | 993 |
| Grade 1 | 1,006 |
| Grade 2 | 1,045 |
| Grade 3 | 1,038 |
| Grade 4 | 1,047 |
| Grade 5 | 984 |
| Grade 6 | 930 |
| Grade 7 | 914 |
| Grade 8 | 866 |
| Grade 9 | 1,192 |
| Grade 10 | 965 |
| Grade 11 | 867 |
| Grade 12 | 710 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership.
Nearby school districts
| District | Distance | Students | Per teacher | Calendar 2026–2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapoport Academy Public School | 3 mi | 898 | 11.2 | – |
| La Vega ISD | 4 mi | 3,093 | 15.1 | – |
| Robinson ISD | 5 mi | 2,378 | 13.8 | – |
| Bosqueville ISD | 5 mi | 729 | 11.8 | – |
| Midway ISD | 6 mi | 8,824 | 15.3 | – |
| Connally ISD | 6 mi | 2,269 | 12.3 | – |
| Gholson ISD | 7 mi | 265 | 13.3 | – |
| China Spring ISD | 9 mi | 3,013 | 14.8 | – |
Distance between the average locations of each district's schools (NCES EDGE).
Other school districts in McLennan County
- Midway ISD (8,824 students)
- La Vega ISD (3,093 students)
- China Spring ISD (3,013 students)
- Robinson ISD (2,378 students)
- Connally ISD (2,269 students)
- Lorena ISD (1,817 students)
- McGregor ISD (1,495 students)
- West ISD (1,300 students)
- Rapoport Academy Public School (898 students)
- Axtell ISD (834 students)
- Moody ISD (751 students)
- Bosqueville ISD (729 students)
- Riesel ISD (689 students)
- Valley Mills ISD (669 students)
- Mart ISD (605 students)
- Crawford ISD (596 students)
- Bruceville-Eddy ISD (565 students)
- Gholson ISD (265 students)
- Hallsburg ISD (131 students)
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25, county of each district's office.
Contact
501 Franklin Ave, Waco, TX 76701
Phone: (254)755-9420
Website: wacoisd.org
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 directory.