Summary:
The Harper Independent School District (Isd) is a small, rural district in Harper, Texas, serving 591 students across three schools: Harper Elementary (PK-4), Harper Middle (5-8), and Harper High School (9-12). The district ranks in the 83rd percentile statewide, earning a 4-star rating, with a 100% graduation rate and 0% dropout rate at the high school level.
Harper Elementary is the district's academic powerhouse, particularly in math, where 4th graders achieved a 76.92% proficiency rate—far above the state average of 49.28%. It has the highest and most consistent state ranking (77th-88th percentile) despite spending the least per student ($10,366) and having the largest class sizes (14.7:1 student-teacher ratio). In contrast, Harper High School excels in U.S. History (89.47% proficiency) and boasts perfect graduation and dropout rates, but its state ranking has declined to the 70th percentile, partly due to weaker Algebra I scores. Harper Middle shows extreme volatility: 8th graders shine in Social Studies (65.31% vs. 31.69% state), but 7th-grade math proficiency plummeted to just 8%—the district's largest performance gap.
A key takeaway is the "math cliff" between elementary and middle school, where strong early math skills dramatically decline. Additionally, higher spending and smaller classes at the high school ($13,685 per student, 8.8:1 ratio) do not guarantee better outcomes than the elementary school's more efficient model. While all schools remain strong, their state rankings have slipped over three years, suggesting other Texas districts are improving faster. For parents, Harper Elementary offers the most consistent academic foundation, while Harper High School provides excellent history instruction and guaranteed graduation, and Harper Middle requires close attention to math support.
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