Summary:
The Taylor Independent School District (ISD) in Taylor, Texas, serves 2,927 students across six schools, including three elementary schools, one middle school, and two high schools, and is ranked in the 42nd percentile statewide with a 2-star rating.
The most striking finding is the extreme performance gap between the district's two high schools. Legacy Early College High School is a standout, ranking in the top 5% of Texas high schools with a 5-star rating, a 100% graduation rate, and STAAR proficiency rates often exceeding 90%. In contrast, Taylor High School ranks in the bottom 27th percentile with a 1-star rating and struggles significantly, particularly in math, where only 30.86% of students were proficient in Algebra I compared to the state average of 54.03%. This disparity exists despite Taylor High spending more per student ($12,303) than Legacy ($8,008), suggesting that how money is spent matters more than how much. At the elementary level, Naomi Pasemann Elementary shows promising improvement, jumping from the 28th to the 44th percentile, with 3rd-grade reading proficiency rising to 60.19%, well above the state average. However, Main Street Elementary remains consistently low-performing in the 25th percentile.
Mathematics is a district-wide weakness, with Taylor Middle posting a mere 8.66% proficiency in 7th-grade math versus the state's 29.41%. The district also faces high economic disadvantage, averaging 66.7% of students receiving free or reduced lunch, ranging from 48.57% at Legacy to 74.22% at Main Street. The success of Legacy's early college model offers a potential blueprint for improvement, while the district's overall performance highlights the need for targeted math interventions and a review of resource allocation at struggling schools like Taylor High.
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