Best Public Schools in Nacogdoches, TX

Summary:

The city of Nacogdoches, Texas, is served by 12 public schools across three districts—Nacogdoches Independent School District (Isd), Central Heights Independent School District (Isd), and the Stephen F Austin State University Charter School—offering education from elementary through high school, with a notable divide in performance and demographics between the two main districts.

The standout school in the city is the Stephen F Austin State University Charter School, which ranks in the 99th percentile statewide for elementary schools and achieves 100% proficiency in 4th-grade Math, all while spending the least per student ($8,431). In contrast, Emeline Carpenter Elementary faces severe challenges, ranking in the 0th percentile with only 3.23% proficiency in 4th-grade Math despite having the second-highest per-student spending ($13,320). Among high schools, Central Heights High School excels with a 100% graduation rate and 94th percentile ranking, while Nacogdoches High School also performs well with a 99.2% graduation rate. The Margie Chumbley Academy For Success serves a high-need population with a low student-teacher ratio (4.5:1) but struggles with a 70.4% graduation rate and high dropout rate.

Key metrics reveal a stark performance gap: Central Heights Independent School District (Isd) ranks 68th out of 951 Texas districts (93rd percentile), while Nacogdoches Independent School District (Isd) ranks 862nd (9th percentile). Socioeconomic factors are evident, with NISD schools averaging 83% of students on free/reduced lunch compared to 31% in CHISD. Interestingly, higher spending does not guarantee success—the lowest-performing schools spend the most. Bright spots in NISD include Thomas J Rusk Elementary (44th percentile) and Raguet Elementary (30th percentile), which outperform their district peers. However, several NISD schools show declining performance trends, such as Brooks-Quinn-Jones Elementary dropping from the 11th to 5th percentile, highlighting ongoing challenges in the district.

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 Spanish Mathematics (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 3rd Grade	STAAR Spanish Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Spanish Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 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 3rd Grade	STAAR Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Reading 6th Grade	STAAR Reading 7th Grade	STAAR Reading 8th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 5th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 6th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 7th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 8th Grade	STAAR Social Studies 8th Grade	Total
Stephen F Austin State University Charter School	Public, Charter	K-5	2428 Raguet St	Nacogdoches	75965	Nacogdoches County	Stephen F Austin State University Charter School	Yes	No	(n/a)	No	(936) 468-5899	253	16	15.5		169 (66.8%)	14 (5.5%)	57 (22.5%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.3%)	97.9	57^th of 4627 public elementary schools	98.8%		98.8	27^th of 4651 public elementary schools	99.4%	30											77.3	97.4	88.4				79.6	100.0	83.7					$8,435
Central Heights High School	Public	9-12	10317 Us Hwy 259 N	Nacogdoches	75965	Nacogdoches County	Central Heights Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(936) 552-3408	333	29	11.4	23.1%	234 (70.3%)	10 (3.0%)	69 (20.7%)	8 (2.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.3%)	72	389^th of 2009 public high schools	80.6%		86.3	115^th of 1974 public high schools	94.2%	274						48.4	79.0	65.0	86.8	97.5														$10,417
Central Heights Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	10317 Us Hwy 259 N	Nacogdoches	75965	Nacogdoches County	Central Heights Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(936) 552-3424	477	36	13.2	40.9%	315 (66.0%)	16 (3.4%)	121 (25.4%)	7 (1.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.6%)	79.1	786^th of 4627 public elementary schools	83.0%		88.3	438^th of 4651 public elementary schools	90.6%	348											55.1	75.6	77.9				46.2	63.0	70.1					$9,303
Central Heights Middle	Public	6-8	10317 Us Hwy 259 N	Nacogdoches	75965	Nacogdoches County	Central Heights Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(936) 552-3441	286	23	12.5	28.0%	178 (62.2%)	13 (4.5%)	63 (22.0%)	9 (3.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (7.7%)	87.6	187^th of 2335 public middle schools	92.0%		86.8	211^th of 2344 public middle schools	91.0%	24						100.0								71.6	76.0	81.8				55.9	38.3	87.9	58.4	$7,324
Emeline Carpenter Elementary	Public	K-5	5209 SE Stallings Dr	Nacogdoches	75961	Nacogdoches County	Nacogdoches Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(936) 569-5070	359	25	14.5	92.2%	33 (9.2%)	208 (57.9%)	92 (25.6%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (6.7%)	2.5	4620^th of 4627 public elementary schools	0.2%		6.8	4571^st of 4651 public elementary schools	1.7%	49											13.7	11.3	17.8				3.9	3.2	22.2					$9,488
Brooks-Quinn-Jones Elementary	Public	K-5	907 N Sanders St	Nacogdoches	75964	Nacogdoches County	Nacogdoches Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(936) 569-5040	612	34	17.8	93.8%	86 (14.1%)	160 (26.1%)	344 (56.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.4%)	12.6	4397^th of 4627 public elementary schools	5.0%		17.4	4165^th of 4651 public elementary schools	10.4%	232											21.6	30.1	30.9				17.1	31.2	34.0					$7,431
Nacogdoches High School	Public	9-12	4310 Appleby Sand Rd	Nacogdoches	75965	Nacogdoches County	Nacogdoches Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(936) 564-2466	1,755	122	14.4	73.7%	391 (22.3%)	458 (26.1%)	832 (47.4%)	30 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.1%)	42 (2.4%)	30.8	1464^th of 2009 public high schools	27.1%		32.1	1351^st of 1974 public high schools	31.6%	113						16.0	52.9	43.0	48.4	67.4														$7,903
Raguet Elementary	Public	K-5	2708 Raguet St	Nacogdoches	75961	Nacogdoches County	Nacogdoches Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(936) 569-5052	409	29	14.2	67.2%	142 (34.7%)	126 (30.8%)	93 (22.7%)	11 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (9.0%)	32.6	3258^th of 4627 public elementary schools	29.6%		44.8	2446^th of 4651 public elementary schools	47.4%	812											40.6	47.5	49.3				25.0	44.1	37.7					$8,496
Nacogdoches County Alter Educational Coop	Public, Alternative	K-12	6003 N St	Nacogdoches	75965	Nacogdoches County	Nacogdoches Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(936) 205-1000	0	0	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
McMichael Middle	Public	6-8	4330 S E Stallings Dr	Nacogdoches	75961	Nacogdoches County	Nacogdoches Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(936) 552-0519	1,275	93	13.6	81.6%	215 (16.9%)	368 (28.9%)	628 (49.3%)	16 (1.3%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	46 (3.6%)	26.3	1841^st of 2335 public middle schools	21.2%		21.3	1989^th of 2344 public middle schools	15.1%	148						95.0								39.3	36.8	48.9				23.4	7.6	38.2	16.6	$6,910
Thomas J Rusk Elementary	Public	K-5	411 N Mound St	Nacogdoches	75961	Nacogdoches County	Nacogdoches Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(936) 569-3100	422	32	13.3	85.5%	46 (10.9%)	49 (11.6%)	320 (75.8%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	41.7	2606^th of 4627 public elementary schools	43.7%		43.1	2567^th of 4651 public elementary schools	44.8%	39		12.5	66.7	0.0	20.0						27.0	43.6	68.3				30.3	36.9	60.9					$8,531
Margie Chumbley Academy For Success	Public	9-12	6003 N St	Nacogdoches	75965	Nacogdoches County	Nacogdoches Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(936) 205-1000	67	15	4.5	76.1%	12 (17.9%)	22 (32.8%)	33 (49.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10.4	1788^th of 2009 public high schools	11.0%		5.4	1852^nd of 1974 public high schools	6.2%	64						22.2		25.0	0.0	46.2														$13,577
Mike Moses Elementary	Public	K-5	2801 Park St	Nacogdoches	75961	Nacogdoches County	Nacogdoches Independent School District (Isd)	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(936) 569-5001	503	31	16.0	94.0%	33 (6.6%)	182 (36.2%)	274 (54.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.6%)	4.6	4594^th of 4627 public elementary schools	0.7%		5.9	4593^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	1.2%	1	0.0	30.0									13.3	25.0	26.5				10.2	20.2	15.7					$7,309

Cities Near Nacogdoches

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Woden	10.2 mi	3	182^nd
Martinsville	14.04 mi	1
Douglass	14.22 mi	1
Pollok	15.69 mi	3	633^rd
Lufkin	16.96 mi	28	438^th

See the top TX Texas cities

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.