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Welch Middle

Public, Magnet Grades 6-8

1874^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,335 Texas Middle Schools

Better than 20% of Texas middle schools

Summary

Welch Middle in Houston, TX, is a public school within the Houston Independent School District (Isd) serving 547 students in grades 6-8, and it is currently in a promising but fragile turnaround phase. The school’s most striking strength is its exceptional Algebra I program, where 92.5% of students were proficient in the 2025-2026 school year—far exceeding the district (57.63%) and state (54.03%) averages, and rivaling high-performing nearby schools like Harmony School Of Innovation - Houston (98.21%) and Energized For Stem Academy Middle (96.43%). However, this success contrasts sharply with the majority of students, as only 15.11% of 6th graders were proficient in grade-level Math and 31.21% in Reading, indicating that resources are heavily focused on advanced learners while many others struggle.

Welch has also shown remarkable, though inconsistent, progress with specific student groups. Its Special Education students jumped from the 28th percentile to the top 1st percentile in 2023-2024, a spike not seen at nearby schools like Fondren Middle or Sugar Grove Academy. Additionally, English Language Learners improved from a 1-star to a 3-star rating, and Gifted and Talented students now rank in the 76th percentile statewide. Compared to Fondren Middle, which serves a similar high-poverty population but is declining, Welch is on an upward trajectory, outperforming it in 8th Grade Reading (51.97% vs. 35.89%) and Algebra I (92.5% vs. 79.1%).

Despite these bright spots, Welch faces significant challenges. Its dropout rate of 5.2% is more than double that of Fondren Middle (2.3%) and far exceeds the near-zero rates at charter schools like KIPP Academy Middle (0.0%). The school’s student-teacher ratio of 14.3:1 is favorable compared to Energized For Stem Academy Middle (37.2:1), suggesting that funding and staffing are not the primary issues. The key takeaway for parents is that Welch Middle excels in advanced math and targeted interventions for specific groups, but the majority of students still need significant support to meet grade-level standards, and the high dropout rate remains a critical concern.

547

Students ?

14.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,163

Per pupil spending ?

99.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

11544 S Gessner
Houston, TX 77071-2297

(713) 778-3300

District: Houston Independent School District (Isd)

Feeder schools for Welch Middle:

Elementary:	Bell Elementary
	Fondren Elementary
	Gross Elementary
	Milne Elementary
	More...
	Valley West Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

58.3%

African American:

30.9%

Asian:

7.9%

See top rated Texas middle schools

Compare Welch Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 12th percentile in 2015 → 21st in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 9 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (34% vs 48% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (20th percentile)

!Mathematics scores 19 pts below the Texas average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school34%

District avg49%

Texas avg48%

1,874^th of 2,335

Texas public middle schools ?

Bottom 20%▲ up 9 pts since 2015

From bottom 12% (2015) to bottom 21% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

35^th of 41Middle Schools in the Houston Independent School District (Isd)

438^th of 951Houston Independent School District (Isd) among Texas districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	26.9	1843 of 2344	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.7	1989 of 2372	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	10.7	2198 of 2330	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.8	2077 of 2254	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	12.2	2110 of 2252	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	20.2	1884 of 2193	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	14.7	1932 of 2080	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	12.5	1911 of 2027	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	11.0	1870 of 1987	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	19.2	1795 of 2043	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	22.8	1665 of 1987	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	25.1	1640 of 1973	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	24.8	1621 of 1951	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	39.5	1415 of 1895	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	30.7	1503 of 1803	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	36.0	1358 of 1763	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	49.2	1015 of 1718	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2007	29.5	1362 of 1684	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	21.8	1370 of 1585	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	16.8	1422 of 1582	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	16.3	1432 of 1573	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	54.2	467 of 1280	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	22.4	1077 of 1273	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.1	948 of 1251	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	29.1	933 of 1213	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	39.2	695 of 1193	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	25.8	938 of 1167	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	2.9	606 of 617	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	0.4	612 of 616	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	0.8	601 of 606	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	3.1	582 of 589	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	3.6	583 of 594	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	32.1	1606 of 2182	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	23.8	1856 of 2118	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	34.7	1409 of 2058	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	35.1	1370 of 2008	31.8%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	30.6	1322 of 1770	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.8	1580 of 1720	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	24.3	1437 of 1643	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	23.2	1463 of 1592	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	42.7	756 of 1445	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.2	982 of 1376	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	23.8	1862 of 2242	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	10.9	2126 of 2241	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	12.6	2111 of 2221	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	10.3	2084 of 2151	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	21.6	1761 of 2047	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	15.5	1873 of 2008	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2023	30.0	1223 of 1481	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.6	1315 of 1488	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	7.0	1447 of 1501	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	35.7	1119 of 1446	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.5	1257 of 1430	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	29.6	1611 of 2119	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.0	1986 of 2116	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	15.7	1938 of 2077	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	13.1	1966 of 2043	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	22.6	1688 of 1935	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.0	1743 of 1895	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	40.2	1314 of 2235	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	14.7	2100 of 2251	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	19.5	1991 of 2220	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.6	1999 of 2172	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	30.9	1597 of 2073	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.0	1855 of 2039	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	34.4	1490 of 2246	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	11.3	2122 of 2245	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	16.3	2003 of 2228	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	15.4	1980 of 2168	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	18.8	1843 of 2069	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	14.1	1921 of 2030	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	96.2	21 of 1891	98.9%	★★★★★
2023	32.6	1308 of 1815	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	41.0	935 of 1757	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.2	1030 of 1712	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.8	1295 of 1626	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.0	1450 of 1597	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	71.7	347 of 1733	80.0%	★★★★☆
2023	13.3	1631 of 1749	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	49.4	861 of 1723	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.1	869 of 1673	48.1%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Special Education (2024)99th percentile+83 vs school

White (2024)80th percentile+64 vs school

African American (2024)64th percentile+47 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2024)41st percentile+25 vs school

Male (2024)34th percentile+18 vs school

At Risk (2022)26th percentile+19 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)25th percentile+9 vs school

Hispanic (2024)24th percentile+8 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2023)17th percentile+12 vs school

Female (2024)17th percentile~ school

Asian (2024)2nd percentile-14 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Algebra I92%+38 vs state

Reading39%-17 vs state

Social Studies29%~ state avg

Mathematics24%-19 vs state

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Schools Near Welch Middle

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				STAAR Spanish Reading (2026)	STAAR EOC Algebra I (2026)	STAAR EOC Biology (2026)	STAAR EOC English I Reading (2026)	STAAR EOC English II Reading (2026)	STAAR EOC U.S. History (2026)	STAAR Reading (2026)				STAAR Mathematics (2026)				STAAR Social Studies (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	STAAR Spanish Reading 5th Grade	STAAR EOC Algebra I End of Course	STAAR EOC Biology End of Course	STAAR EOC English I Reading End of Course	STAAR EOC English II Reading End of Course	STAAR EOC U.S. History End of Course	STAAR Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Reading 6th Grade	STAAR Reading 7th Grade	STAAR Reading 8th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 5th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 6th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 7th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 8th Grade	STAAR Social Studies 8th Grade	Total
Welch Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	11544 S Gessner	Houston	77071	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 778-3300	547	38	14.3	99.8%	8 (1.5%)	169 (30.9%)	319 (58.3%)	43 (7.9%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (0.9%)	25.5	1874^th of 2335 public middle schools	19.7%		26.9	1843^rd of 2344 public middle schools	21.4%	31		92.5						31.2	34.7	52.0		15.1		29.1	29.5	$13,163
Fondren Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	6333 S Braeswood	Houston	77096	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 778-3360	713	47	15.3	99.0%	14 (2.0%)	154 (21.6%)	532 (74.6%)	9 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.6%)	19.7	2053^rd of 2335 public middle schools	12.1%		15	2151^st of 2344 public middle schools	8.2%	98		79.1						35.9	35.1	35.9		25.6	14.9	33.7	4.8	$13,918
KIPP Academy Middle	Public, Charter	5-8	10711 KIPP Way St	Houston	77099	Harris County	KIPP Texas Public Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(832) 328-1051	508	21	24.4	91.9%	5 (1.0%)	172 (33.9%)	303 (59.6%)	19 (3.7%)	6 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	70	510^th of 2335 public middle schools	78.2%		71.6	496^th of 2344 public middle schools	78.8%	14		68.6					45.2	61.2	68.5	78.5	44.4	38.0	39.2		33.9	$8,713
KIPP Mosaic Academy School	Public, Charter	6-10	12751 Hillcroft Ave	Houston	77085	Harris County	KIPP Texas Public Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(281) 879-3110	788	35	22.4	89.5%	4 (0.5%)	160 (20.3%)	610 (77.4%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.1%)	37.4	1478^th of 2335 public middle schools	36.7%		33.9	1588^th of 2344 public middle schools	32.3%	110		42.5	70.4	54.0	65.1	64.1		49.7	43.0	55.4		32.3	27.6		10.7	$6,726
Sugar Grove Academy	Public	6-8	8405 Bonhomme	Houston	77074	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 271-0214	777	50	15.5	99.0%	21 (2.7%)	85 (10.9%)	593 (76.3%)	62 (8.0%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (1.7%)	36.1	1528^th of 2335 public middle schools	34.6%		19.7	2026^th of 2344 public middle schools	13.6%	498		97.7						39.2	37.1	38.4		47.9		48.0	12.6	$16,270
Harmony School Of Innovation - Houston	Public, Charter	6-8	9421 W Sam Houston Pkwy S	Houston	77099	Harris County	Harmony Public Schools - Houston South	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 541-3030	497	35	14.2	87.7%	35 (7.0%)	98 (19.7%)	292 (58.8%)	69 (13.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	74	432^nd of 2335 public middle schools	81.5%		69.2	554^th of 2344 public middle schools	76.4%	122		98.2						62.6	66.3	62.9		55.6	42.6	67.1	35.4	$14,187
Missouri City Middle	Public	6-8	202 Martin Ln	Missouri City	77489	Fort Bend County	Fort Bend Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(281) 634-3440	933	66	14.0	80.8%	10 (1.1%)	536 (57.4%)	344 (36.9%)	15 (1.6%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	24 (2.6%)	19.1	2071^st of 2335 public middle schools	11.3%		16.6	2109^th of 2344 public middle schools	10.0%	38		65.6						40.3	38.6	37.1		15.5	7.8	25.1	14.4	$10,917
Klentzman Intermediate	Public	5-6	11100 Stancliff	Houston	77099	Harris County	Alief Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(281) 983-8477	833	58	14.4	89.8%	26 (3.1%)	107 (12.8%)	662 (79.5%)	31 (3.7%)	3 (0.4%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)								(n/a)	40.6						38.4	29.9			25.7	20.6				$7,504
Accelerated Intermediate Charter School	Public, Charter	7-8	12825 Summit Rdg Dr	Houston	77085	Harris County	Accelerated Intermediate Academy	Yes	No	(n/a)	No	(713) 728-9330	21	2	11.7	90.5%	1 (4.8%)	5 (23.8%)	13 (61.9%)	1 (4.8%)	1 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	75.2	402^nd of 2335 public middle schools	82.8%		91.4	127^th of 2344 public middle schools	94.6%	275									60.0	100.0			53.3	66.7	22.2	$17,123
Energized For Stem Academy Middle	Public, Charter	6-8	7055 Beechnut	Houston	77074	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 773-3600	335	9	37.2	94.9%	11 (3.3%)	14 (4.2%)	280 (83.6%)	26 (7.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.9%)	50.6	1031^st of 2335 public middle schools	55.8%		49.5	1088^th of 2344 public middle schools	53.6%	57		96.4						40.4	53.6	62.0		36.6	33.6	50.0	28.3	$8,259

Frequently Asked Questions about Welch Middle

How many students attend Welch Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 547 students attended Welch Middle.

Is Welch Middle a good school?

Welch Middle ranks in the bottom 19.7% of Texas middle schools.

What is the racial makeup of Welch Middle?

Students at Welch Middle are 58% Hispanic, 31% African American, 8% Asian, 1% White.

What district is Welch Middle in?

Houston Independent School District (Isd)

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Texas Education Agency.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.