Summary:
The Kaufman Independent School District (Isd) serves approximately 4,356 students across 7 schools, including 4 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 2 high schools, and is ranked in the 57th percentile statewide with a 3-star rating.
The district's standout school is Kaufman High School, the largest campus with 1,294 students, which has shown a strong upward trajectory in state rankings and boasts an exceptional 99.6% graduation rate and near-zero dropout rate. Its performance in Algebra I significantly exceeds both district and state averages. In contrast, Gary W Campbell High School is a very small alternative high school (13 students) with an extremely low student-teacher ratio of 2.2:1 and per-student spending of $32,581, which is dramatically higher than any other school in the district. While its test scores are low, it maintains a high graduation rate (97.8%) and zero dropouts, indicating it prioritizes retention and graduation for at-risk students over standardized test performance. Among elementary schools, J R Phillips Elementary is the most improved, jumping from the 33rd percentile to the 58th percentile in state rankings over two years.
A key finding is the "Algebra I Anomaly" at Norman J H, where 80.19% of 8th graders score proficient on the Algebra I End-of-Course exam—26 percentage points above the state average—yet only 14% of 8th graders are proficient in general mathematics, suggesting top math students are accelerated while the general math population struggles. The district generally performs near or below state averages in core subjects, with a notable exception in Algebra I (73.38% proficient vs. 54.03% statewide). All schools serve a high-poverty population, with free/reduced lunch rates ranging from 67% to 81%, and elementary schools show inconsistent year-over-year performance, particularly in 5th-grade Science, where all three elementary schools score well below the state average.
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