Enrollment
302
Combined
STATE 485
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·WAELDER ISD·NCES 484431005063
Waelder School
201 US HWY 90 W, WAELDER, TX 78959 · (830) 239-5602 · Gonzales County
GRADES PK–12COMBINED43-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL302 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
9.5:1
32 FTE teachers
STATE 11.7:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
90%
272 students
STATE 65%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other combined schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 31 | 10% |
| Kindergarten | 29 | 10% |
| Grade 1 | 25 | 8% |
| Grade 2 | 17 | 6% |
| Grade 3 | 25 | 8% |
| Grade 4 | 31 | 10% |
| Grade 5 | 13 | 4% |
| Grade 6 | 15 | 5% |
| Grade 7 | 24 | 8% |
| Grade 8 | 18 | 6% |
| Grade 9 | 18 | 6% |
| Grade 10 | 16 | 5% |
| Grade 11 | 23 | 8% |
| Grade 12 | 17 | 6% |
This year's kindergarten class (29) is 61% larger than its 8th grade class (18).
Student demographics
26%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
STATE 63% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
STAAR 2025-26 . % Meets Grade Level or AboveReading
37.0%
TX avg 54.5% . +21.0pp since 2020
Mathematics
26.0%
TX avg 45.3% . +15.0pp since 2020
What this means: On the STAAR, Texas's statewide test, about 37 of every 100 students at this school read at grade level and about 26 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Texas schools, those numbers are about 55 and 45. Reading scores are up about 21 points since 2020, while math scores are up about 15 points.
Performance levels, 2025-26
| Subject | Masters Grade Level | Meets Grade Level | Approaches Grade Level | Did Not Meet Grade Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 11.0% | 26.0% | 29.0% | 34.0% |
| Mathematics | 7.0% | 19.0% | 37.0% | 37.0% |
Share of tested students at each STAAR level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.
STAAR results by year
| School year | Reading | Mathematics |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 37.0% | 26.0% |
| 2024-25 | 30.0% | 22.0% |
| 2023-24 | 26.0% | 13.0% |
| 2022-23 | 16.0% | 31.0% |
| 2021-22 | 25.0% | 23.0% |
| 2020-21 | 16.0% | 11.0% |
% Meets Grade Level or Above, all students and all tested grades.
Source: STAAR. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
23.6%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
35.2%
based on TX schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-11.6pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 24% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 35% typical for Texas schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Texas's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Waelder School
Waelder School's state test result (23.6% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waelder School this school | 302 | 90.1% | 23.6% |
| Promesa College Prep West Corpus Christi CORPUS CHRISTI | 358 | 93.6% | 40.9% |
| Royal Academy of Excellence SAN ANTONIO | 469 | 84.9% | 18.7% |
| Hart ISD HART | 206 | 86.4% | 40.9% |
| Ehrhart School BEAUMONT | 559 | 87.7% | 53.5% |
| Crosbyton Cisd Pre K-12 CROSBYTON | 316 | 83.2% | 24.2% |
Matched among Texas K-12 schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Waelder School ranks
Among K-12 schools| Measure | This school | In Texas |
|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 23.6% | #200 of 211 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 26.0% | #180 of 218 ▲ 10 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 37.0% | #191 of 218 ▲ 14 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +8.0pp | #83 of 134 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 302 | #81 of 280 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 9.5:1 | #17 of 141 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 25.6% | #120 of 144 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 90.1% | #13 of 226 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -5.9% | #40 of 60 |
Ranked against other public K-12 schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
302
+4 (+1%) vs 2020
+129% since 1990-91, when it was 132
Student : Teacher
9.5:1
was 11.0:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 302 | 31.8 | 9.5:1 | 90% (272) |
| 2023-24 | 297 | 27.9 | 10.7:1 | 98% (291) |
| 2022-23 | 290 | 30.6 | 9.5:1 | 96% (277) |
| 2020-21 | 298 | 27 | 11.0:1 | 95% (284) |
| 2017-18 | 321 | 29.9 | 10.7:1 | 94% (301) |
| 2015-16 | 339 | 27 | 12.6:1 | 95% (322) |
| 2010-11 | 248 | 23 | 10.8:1 | 88% (217) |
| 2000-01 | 124 | 11 | 11.3:1 | 92% (114) |
| 1990-91 | 132 | 9 | 14.7:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Waelder School.
Since 2017-18: students down 6% (321 to 302); teachers up 6% (29.9 to 31.8).
About Waelder School
This page covers Waelder School, a low-enrollment school serving multiple grade levels in WAELDER, Texas. Total enrollment is 302 students, and the grades served are pre-K through 12. That is 38% below the average of about 485 students for combined schools in Texas.
WAELDER ISD is responsible for Waelder School.
By race and ethnicity, Waelder School is 86% Hispanic. Other groups include 8% White and 5% Black. The county population is about 51% Hispanic. On a 0 to 100 scale, the school's diversity index is 26, compared with 70 nationally.
Waelder School reports a ratio of 9.5 students per teacher, from 31.8 full-time-equivalent teachers. The gap from the 11.7:1 average for combined schools in Texas is 2.2 students per teacher. Student poverty is often measured by lunch eligibility; at Waelder School, 90% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. That is 14 points above the 76% average for public schools in Gonzales County.
Waelder School scores 23.6% on state tests, averaged across results. The predicted figure, based on its student poverty level, is 35.2%.
Gonzales County is the school's county. There, median household income comes to about $58,672, 12% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 15% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Gonzales County's 15 public schools enroll about 3,908 students and include Waelder School.
Among nearby public schools, Flatonia Secondary is closest at about 11.9 miles. By average proficiency, Waelder School is 8th among 8 schools close by.
NCES lists the school's locale as Rural: Remote. That means it sits in rural territory far from an urban area.
Enrollment went from 298 in 2020-21 to 302 in 2024-25, a change of 4 students. The ratio was 11.0:1 in 2020-21 and 9.5:1 in 2024-25.
This community page is for conversations about open houses, carpools, and field trips. Teachers and staff are welcome to share updates too.
Gonzales County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
19,851
Census ACS
Median income
$58,672
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
12%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
15%
Below federal line
Schools in county
15
3,908 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Nearby schools
- Flatonia Secondary11.9 mi · 327
- Flatonia Elementary School11.9 mi · 349
- Moulton High School12.2 mi · 123
- Moulton Elementary School12.3 mi · 170
- Gonzales High School14.6 mi · 751
- Gonzales Elementary School15.3 mi · 500
Frequently asked questions
About Waelder SchoolHow many students attend Waelder School?
Waelder School enrolls approximately 302 students in grades PK-12.
Is Waelder School an elementary, middle, or high school?
Waelder School is a combined-grade school covering grades PK-12.
How many teachers does Waelder School have?
Waelder School employs 32 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 9.5:1.
What is the student diversity at Waelder School?
Student demographics at Waelder School are roughly 8% White, 86% Hispanic, 5% Black, 2% Two or more.
Who oversees Waelder School?
Waelder School is overseen by WAELDER ISD in Gonzales County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.