Summary:
The Kilgore Independent School District (Isd) serves approximately 3,660 students across five schools—Kilgore Pri (PK-1), Chandler Elementary (2-3), Kilgore Intermediate (4-5), Kilgore Middle (6-8), and Kilgore High School (9-12)—in a community where about 72% of students face economic disadvantage.
Chandler Elementary stands out as the district’s only school where students outperform state averages in core subjects, with 57% of 3rd graders proficient in reading and 45% in math. However, this success doesn’t carry over to Kilgore Intermediate, where 4th-grade reading drops to 46% and math to 45%, suggesting a disconnect in curriculum or instruction between the two campuses. Kilgore Middle shows a dramatic “math cliff”: 5th-grade math proficiency of 32% at the intermediate school falls to 25% in 6th grade and plummets to just 8% in 7th grade. Yet the middle school excels at accelerating top students, with 92% of its 8th graders passing Algebra I—far above the state average of 54%. Kilgore High School is the district’s most stable performer, with a 95% graduation rate and strong biology scores (63% proficient), though it struggles with Algebra I (32% proficient).
Key metrics show per-student spending ranges from $7,953 at the middle school to $9,867 at the high school, with student-teacher ratios averaging 13.6:1. The district ranks in the 30th percentile statewide, and most schools lag behind Texas averages in nearly every subject. A notable concern is that Spanish-language STAAR tests at Kilgore Intermediate have shown 0% proficiency in some years, indicating a need for better support for Spanish-speaking students. Overall, Chandler Elementary is the clear bright spot for early learning, while Kilgore Middle offers a strong advanced math track despite broader math challenges.
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