Cedar Hill Independent School District (Isd)

The Cedar Hill Independent School District (Isd) in Texas serves 11 schools—six elementary, three middle, and two high schools—and is ranked 689th out of 951 districts statewide, placing it in the 28th percentile with a 1-star rating, but this average masks a dramatic split between a small group of standout schools and the rest.

The most notable finding is the "Collegiate" track, which includes Cedar Hill Collegiate Prep (4-star, top 15% of elementary schools), Cedar Hill Collegiate Academy (4-star, top 13% of middle schools), and Cedar Hill Collegiate High School (5-star, top 5% of high schools). These three schools dramatically outperform the rest of the district, achieving proficiency rates double or triple the district average. For example, Cedar Hill Collegiate High School boasts a 100% graduation rate and a 0.3% dropout rate, while spending $2,184 less per student than Cedar Hill High School, which has an 88.3% graduation rate and a 2.6% dropout rate. The Collegiate schools also have lower free/reduced lunch rates (41-46%) compared to other schools (59-83%), but their success shows that effective models can overcome socioeconomic challenges.

In contrast, the remaining eight schools—including Cedar Hill High School, Bessie Coleman Middle, W S Permenter Middle, and five of six elementary schools like Plummer Elementary—are rated 1-star or 0-star, ranking in the bottom 20-30% of their school types. Interestingly, Lakeridge Elementary spends the most per student ($12,462) but ranks in the bottom 4% of Texas elementary schools, while the Collegiate schools are the lowest spenders. This highlights that how money is used matters more than the amount, and the weak elementary foundation (except Collegiate Prep) likely contributes to struggles at traditional middle and high schools.