Summary:
The city of Cactus, Texas, is served by a single public school, Cactus Elementary, which educates students from Pre-Kindergarten through 4th grade and is part of the Dumas Independent School District (Isd).
Cactus Elementary has an enrollment of 487 students and a student-teacher ratio of 14.5. A very high percentage of students (94.05%) are economically disadvantaged, which is a key factor in understanding the school's academic context. The school has shown a significant upward trend in its statewide ranking, moving from the 3rd percentile in the 2023-2024 school year to the 14th percentile in the 2025-2026 school year, indicating positive momentum. Despite this improvement, the school's proficiency rates on STAAR tests remain below both the district and state averages. For example, in the 2025-2026 school year, 4th grade math proficiency was 37.21% at the school, compared to 58.56% for the district and 49.28% for the state. Similarly, 3rd grade reading proficiency was 28.41%, well below the district's 52.65% and the state's 51.08%.
While the Dumas Independent School District (Isd) ranks in the 60th percentile statewide, Cactus Elementary ranks in the 14th percentile, making it a clear outlier within its own district. This suggests that other schools in the district are performing at a much higher level. The school's math scores are slightly stronger than its reading scores, with 4th grade math being the closest to the state average. The per-student spending of $11,572 is a single data point that does not clearly correlate with the current academic outcomes, highlighting that how funds are used may be more important than the total amount.
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