Summary:
The city of De Kalb, Texas, is home to four schools serving students from Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade, split between the Dekalb Independent School District (Isd) and the Hubbard Independent School District (Isd), in a small, rural educational setting where a majority of students face economic disadvantage.
For parents, the standout school is Dekalb High School, which boasts a near-perfect 98.5% graduation rate and an incredibly low 0.3% dropout rate, showing it excels at keeping students on track. In contrast, James L Germany Middle is a powerhouse for advanced math, with 90% of its Algebra I students scoring proficient, though its general math scores for grades 5-8 lag behind state averages. The tiny Hubbard Independent School District (Isd) (only 64 students) surprises with strong 3rd-grade math proficiency (66.67% vs. 44.33% state), but struggles in reading, with only 25% of 4th graders proficient. Dekalb Elementary serves as the foundation, but its math scores are a concern, with 3rd-grade math at just 30.77% proficiency. Overall, the Dekalb ISD district ranks in the 48th percentile in Texas, and all three of its schools show a concerning downward trend in state rankings from 2023-2024 to 2025-2026.
Key takeaways for parents include a clear disconnect between middle school struggles and high school success, suggesting students may catch up later. The district spends between $11,096 and $13,551 per student, with favorable student-teacher ratios (as low as 6.4:1 at Hubbard ISD). While the middle school's Algebra I program is world-class, core math instruction for most students needs improvement, and 8th-grade social studies is a major weakness (18.99% vs. 31.69% state). Biology at the high school (78.16% proficient) and 5th-grade reading at the middle school (71.01%) are clear strengths.
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