Summary:
The Italy Independent School District (Isd) in Italy, Texas, serves approximately 597 students across two public schools: Stafford Elementary (grades PK-6) and Italy High School (grades 7-12). The district holds a moderate state ranking in the 45th percentile with a 2-star rating, but the two schools present very different stories of academic performance and trajectory.
Italy High School is the clear standout, showing strong and consistent improvement. Its state ranking has climbed from the 38th percentile to the 66th percentile over three years, earning a 3-star rating. The high school excels in English Language Arts, with End-of-Course exam proficiency rates of 73-74%—well above state averages—and also outperforms the state in Algebra I. It boasts a 97.9% graduation rate and a very low 0.6% dropout rate. In contrast, Stafford Elementary faces significant challenges, with its state ranking dropping to the 27th percentile. The elementary school struggles most in mathematics, where proficiency rates range from just 21% to 40% across grades, all below state averages. Reading performance is mixed, with only 6th grade meeting the state average.
A key takeaway is a systemic "math problem" that begins early: Stafford Elementary's low math scores appear to carry over to the high school, where 7th-grade math proficiency is an alarmingly low 5.26%. The district also spends more per student at the high school ($15,029) than at the elementary school ($12,470), raising questions about resource allocation. While the high school is a rising star with strong academic growth and high graduation rates, the elementary school is in decline, suggesting a potential disconnect in the educational pipeline that parents should consider when evaluating the district's overall performance.
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