Best Public Schools in Mexia, TX

The Mexia Independent School District (Isd) in Mexia, Texas, serves approximately 1,846 students across five schools—Mexia High School, A B McBay Elementary, R Q Sims Intermediate, Mexia J H, and the Developmental Center—with a district ranking in the 11th percentile and a 1-star rating, reflecting widespread academic challenges.

Among the standard campuses, Mexia High School stands out as the strongest performer, with the highest test scores in Biology (57.14% proficient) and U.S. History (59.48% proficient), a graduation rate of 89.7%, and the lowest economic disadvantage rate at 74.39% free/reduced lunch. In contrast, R Q Sims Intermediate shows the most significant academic struggles, with only 8.82% of 5th graders proficient in Science and 11.72% of 4th graders proficient in Math—far below state averages. The Developmental Center is a clear outlier, serving just 18 students with a 100% free/reduced lunch rate, a 20% dropout rate, and an extraordinary $59,239 spent per student, reflecting its specialized needs. A B McBay Elementary and Mexia J H also perform below state averages, with Mexia J H showing a critical math gap where only 10% of 7th graders are proficient.

Key takeaways include a district-wide academic crisis, as every school falls below state averages in all subjects, with mathematics being a particular weakness. Spending does not guarantee success—the Developmental Center spends the most but has high dropout rates, while standard campuses with similar spending ($10,499–$13,016 per student) show uniformly low performance. A "dropout pipeline" is evident, with low proficiency in elementary and middle grades likely contributing to a 2.5% dropout rate at Mexia High School. High poverty rates (74–100% free/reduced lunch) strongly correlate with low outcomes, though the high school’s slightly lower poverty rate suggests even modest economic improvement can help.