Clifton Independent School District (Isd)

The Clifton Independent School District (Isd) is a small, three-school district in Texas serving approximately 1,001 students from Pre-K through 12th grade, and it ranks in the 68th percentile statewide with a 3-star rating.

Clifton Middle is the district's rising star, showing the most dramatic improvement by jumping from the 61st to the 78th percentile in state rankings over two years and earning a 4-star rating. It excels in advanced math, with 100% of its 8th graders proficient in Algebra I in the 2024-2025 school year, and consistently outperforms the state in middle school Mathematics and Social Studies. In contrast, Clifton High School is the district's most consistent performer, maintaining a 4-star rating with a perfect 100% graduation rate and zero dropouts, and it shines in Science and History with 84% proficiency in Biology. Clifton Elementary faces the greatest challenge, serving the highest percentage of economically disadvantaged students (66%), yet it still achieves strong 5th-grade Reading scores (73% proficient) that significantly beat the state average.

A key takeaway is the district's split performance: Reading and English scores are generally strong, but Mathematics is a systemic weakness, especially in early grades where only 22% of 3rd graders are proficient in Math. The middle school's success in advanced math creates a strong "Algebra I pipeline," but this success doesn't fully carry over to the high school, where Algebra I proficiency drops to 15%. Interestingly, the high school spends the most per student ($13,352) but struggles in math, while the middle school achieves superior results with lower spending ($10,638), suggesting that instructional quality and strategy matter more than budget alone.