Waco High School
Public high school in Waco, Texas · Waco ISD · Grades 9–12
Waco High School serves 1,885 students in grades 9–12 in Waco (McLennan County). It is one of 23 schools in Waco ISD. By enrollment it is the 363rd largest of 1,920 public high schools in Texas (median 457 students). With 13.4 students per full-time teacher, it has about the same as the typical Texas high school (14).
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Rank and medians compare all 1,920 Texas high schools with enrollment listed on this site.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Students per teacher = students ÷ 140.16 full-time-equivalent teachers.
School facts
| School type | Regular School |
| Level | High |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| District | Waco ISD |
| County | McLennan County |
| Area type | City, midsize |
| School meals | National School Lunch Program, free or reduced price for eligible students |
| NCES school ID | 484428005054 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 directory and school characteristics; area type from NCES EDGE locale codes.
Compared with the district and Texas
| This school | Waco ISD | Texas high schools (median) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 1,885 | 13,376 | 457 |
| Students per teacher | 13.4 | 14.5 | 14 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligible | 83.7% | 88.1% | 63.8% |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. District figures add up its schools. 44% of Texas high schools have fewer students per teacher than this school (share of schools with a lower ratio). State test results aren't published here yet.
Waco High School in context
Size
Waco High School is the largest of Waco ISD's 4 high schools; its 1,885 students are 14.1% of district enrollment. Its 8 closest high schools sit a median 2.9 miles away with a median enrollment of 181; Waco High School is larger than most of them.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 enrollment and school type. Share of district students = this school's students ÷ the district's students. Nearest schools by straight-line distance between NCES EDGE locations.
Grades
Its largest grade is grade 9 with 650 students, and its smallest is grade 12 with 369, against an average of 471 per grade. This year grade 12 has 43% fewer students than grade 9 (369 against 650). Each grade is a different group of students, so the gap is not a dropout or growth rate.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership by grade.
Students
The largest group is Hispanic students: 59.5% here and 62.5% across Waco ISD. Black students are next, at 29.7%. Students from 6 of the 7 race and ethnicity groups NCES reports are enrolled.
83.7% of its students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, against 88.1% across Waco ISD and a median of 63.8% for Texas high schools. Families apply for free or reduced-price meals, and eligibility depends on household income.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership and school lunch program data. District shares weight each school by its enrollment.
Teachers
With 140.16 full-time-equivalent teachers for 1,885 students, Waco High School has 13.4 students per teacher. At the median Texas high school ratio of 14, a school with 1,885 students would have about 134.6 teachers, so Waco High School has 5.6 more.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Expected teachers = this school's students ÷ the median students per teacher of Texas high schools (14).
Location
Waco High School is inside a principal city of 100,000 to 250,000 people, which NCES calls city, midsize. The nearest other high school is Challenge Academy, 2.1 miles away in the same district. Within 10 miles there are 15 other high schools, 8 of them within 5 miles.
Source: NCES EDGE school locations and locale codes, 2024-25. Distances are straight lines.
Students by race and ethnicity
| Hispanic | 59.5% |
| Black | 29.7% |
| White | 8.3% |
| Two or more races | 2.1% |
| Asian | 0.4% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 0.1% |
47.5% of students are girls and 52.5% are boys.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership.
Students by grade
| Grade 9 | 650 |
| Grade 10 | 454 |
| Grade 11 | 412 |
| Grade 12 | 369 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership.
Location and contact
2020 N 42nd St, Waco, TX 76710
Phone: (254)776-1150
Website: wacohigh.wacoisd.org
Locations: NCES EDGE. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Red: Waco High School. Blue: the nearest high schools.
Nearby high schools
| School | District | Distance | Students | Per teacher | Free/reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Challenge Academy | Waco ISD | 2.1 mi | 52 | 13.4 | 92.3% |
| Harmony School of Innovation - Waco | Harmony Public Schools - North Texas | 2.5 mi | 614 | 16.2 | 86.2% |
| Methodist Children's Home | University of Texas University Charter School | 2.6 mi | 96 | 8.8 | – |
| Waco Center for Youth | Axtell ISD | 2.7 mi | 69 | 9.9 | 47.8% |
| Premier H S of Waco | Premier High Schools | 3.2 mi | 128 | 20.2 | 84.4% |
| University High School | Waco ISD | 3.9 mi | 1,752 | 14.2 | 83.9% |
| Midway High School | Midway ISD | 4.2 mi | 2,687 | 16.2 | 30.3% |
| Paul and Jane Meyer Public High School | Rapoport Academy Public School | 4.3 mi | 233 | 9 | 56.2% |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Distance in a straight line between NCES EDGE locations.
Other schools in Waco ISD
| School | Level | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alta Vista Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 479 |
| Bell's Hill Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 786 |
| Bill Logue Detention Center | High | 7–11 | 11 |
| Brook Avenue Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 356 |
| Cedar Ridge Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 446 |
| Cesar Chavez Middle School | Middle | 6–8 | 786 |
| Challenge Academy | High | 7–12 | 52 |
| Crestview Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 464 |
| Dean Highland Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 617 |
| G L Wiley Opportunity Center | Other | 2–12 | 98 |
| G W Carver Middle School | Middle | 6–8 | 723 |
| Hillcrest Pds Magnet | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 431 |
| J H Hines Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 379 |
| Kendrick Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 446 |
| Lake Air Montessori School | Elementary | Pre-K–8 | 734 |
| Mountainview Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 349 |
| Parkdale Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 497 |
| Provident Heights Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 383 |
| South Waco Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 490 |
| Tennyson Middle School | Middle | 6–8 | 963 |
| University High School | High | 9–12 | 1,752 |
| West Avenue Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 249 |