Best Public Schools in Riesel, TX

The city of Riesel, Texas, is served by the highly-rated Riesel Independent School District (Isd), which includes two public schools—Foster Elementary (grades PK-6) and Riesel School (grades 7-12)—educating a total of 689 students. The district ranks in the 88th percentile statewide and holds a 4-star rating, reflecting strong overall performance. Foster Elementary is a consistent academic standout, outperforming state averages in every tested subject and grade level, with particularly impressive results in 5th-grade science, where proficiency more than doubled the state average. Riesel School excels in high school subjects like Biology and U.S. History and boasts a perfect 100% graduation rate with a very low dropout rate of 0.3%.

Key metrics reveal notable differences between the two schools. Foster Elementary has a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced lunch (49.58%) compared to Riesel School (41.02%). Riesel School spends significantly more per student ($10,563 versus $8,417) and enjoys a much lower student-teacher ratio (10.3:1) than Foster Elementary (16.7:1). Academically, Foster Elementary shows consistent strength across all grades, while Riesel School displays more variability, with stellar results in some subjects but a critical weakness in 7th-grade mathematics, where proficiency (21.88%) falls well below the state average (29.41%).

The most striking finding is a dramatic "math gap" at the middle school transition: Foster Elementary's 6th-grade math proficiency is a strong 63.83%, but this plummets to just 21.88% in 7th grade at Riesel School—a 42-percentage-point drop. This suggests a potential curriculum discontinuity or need for targeted support. Despite this challenge, the district's overall trajectory is positive, with science emerging as a core strength at both schools. The data indicates that while resources like smaller class sizes at Riesel School contribute to high graduation rates, they must be paired with effective instruction to address specific academic gaps.