T R U C E Learning Center

T R U C E Learning Center in Fort Worth, TX, is a small alternative high school within the Castleberry Independent School District (Isd), serving just 27 students in grades 6-12 from a highly disadvantaged community, where 96.3% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

This school stands out for its remarkable ability to keep students enrolled. Over the last five years, T R U C E has maintained a perfect 0.0% dropout rate, a stark contrast to nearby alternative schools like Reach High School (2.9% dropout) and Premier H S - Fort Worth (Jacksboro) (13.9% dropout). However, academic performance is extremely volatile due to the small student body. The school rocketed to the 93rd percentile statewide in 2022-2023, only to drop to the 6th percentile by 2025-2026. This dramatic swing reflects how the performance of just a few students can drastically change overall metrics, and it highlights a trade-off: the school excels at social-emotional support and retention but struggles to achieve grade-level academic proficiency.

Compared to high-performing magnet schools nearby, such as Texas Academy Of Biomedical (88th percentile) and Marine Creek Collegiate High School (92nd percentile), T R U C E serves a fundamentally different population. Its recent challenges have been compounded by a sharp increase in its student-teacher ratio, which rose from 13:1 to 27:1, the highest among all nearby schools. While the school’s academic scores are low, its perfect retention rate suggests it provides critical wraparound support for students who might otherwise drop out, making it a unique option for families prioritizing persistence and stability over test scores.