Summary:
Commerce Independent School District (Isd) is home to a single middle school, Commerce Middle, which serves grades 6 through 8 with 339 students. The district itself is ranked very low in Texas, at 904 out of 951 districts (5th percentile), earning a 0-star rating. This context is critical because the school's performance directly defines the district's struggles, with a very high percentage of students (73.45%) being economically disadvantaged.
The most striking finding is a stark divide in mathematics. While the school excels in advanced Algebra I—with 61.9% of students proficient in 2025-2026, outperforming the state average by nearly 8 points—it struggles profoundly with grade-level math. In the same year, only 3.8% of 7th graders and 7.77% of 6th graders were proficient in Math, representing a massive gap of 25-26 percentage points below the state average. This suggests a strong program for advanced students, but the vast majority are being left behind in foundational skills. Additionally, 8th Grade Social Studies is a persistent weakness, with only 17.27% of students proficient in 2025-2026, compared to 31.69% statewide.
The school's state ranking has declined alarmingly from the 35th percentile (2 stars) in 2023-2024 to the 5th percentile (0 stars) in 2025-2026, despite a favorable student-teacher ratio of 12.1:1 and spending of $12,883 per student. This suggests the challenges are not due to a lack of resources but likely stem from curriculum, instruction quality, or the impact of high poverty levels. The dropout rate of 1.6% is slightly better than the district average but remains a concern for a middle school. For parents, this data paints a picture of a school with pockets of excellence in advanced math but facing deep, systemic struggles in core subjects that require urgent intervention.
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