Kress Independent School District (Isd)

The Kress Independent School District (Isd) is a small, rural district in Texas serving 262 students across two schools: Kress Elementary (grades PK-6) and Kress High School (grades 7-12). The district earns a 3-star rating, placing it slightly above the state median, and serves a significant population of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Kress High School is the clear standout, boasting a perfect 100% graduation rate and a 0% dropout rate. It has shown strong academic improvement, moving from the 45th to the 54th percentile in state rankings, and excels in Science and Social Studies, with U.S. History proficiency at 84.21% and Biology at 73.68%—both above state averages. The high school also benefits from a low student-teacher ratio of 9.6:1 and significantly higher per-pupil spending ($14,146) compared to the elementary school. In contrast, Kress Elementary struggles, ranking in the 36th percentile with inconsistent performance, particularly in Mathematics, where all grades (3rd-6th) score below state averages. The elementary school has a higher student-teacher ratio of 15.2:1 and spends only $9,014 per student.

A key takeaway is the stark resource disparity within the district, with the high school receiving over $5,000 more per student than the elementary school, which may directly influence performance outcomes. Mathematics is a district-wide weakness, with Algebra I scores at the high school (45% proficient) also falling below the state average. The small student population makes data volatile—for example, English II Reading scores swung from 75% proficient to 40.74% in one year—but it also enables the personalized attention that drives the high school’s success. Overall, Kress High School demonstrates a remarkable turnaround and strong outcomes, while Kress Elementary requires targeted support to address academic gaps.