Summary:
The Roma Independent School District (Isd) is home to two middle schools serving grades 6-8, Roma Middle and Ramiro Barrera Middle, both located in a predominantly low-income area where over 90% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
Roma Middle stands out as the stronger performer, ranking in the 67th percentile statewide for the 2025-2026 school year, compared to Ramiro Barrera Middle at the 56th percentile. With 776 students, it is nearly 40% larger than its counterpart. A key strength is 8th-grade math, where an exceptional 82.59% of students are proficient—far exceeding the state average of 47.24%. However, a notable gap appears in 7th-grade math: Roma Middle achieves 41.49% proficiency (above the state average of 29.41%), while Ramiro Barrera Middle drops to just 14.75%—less than half the state average. Reading proficiency remains a district-wide challenge, with both schools generally falling below state averages across all grades.
Interestingly, Ramiro Barrera Middle spends $1,178 more per student ($12,759 vs. $11,581) and has a lower student-teacher ratio (10.4:1 vs. 12.2:1) than Roma Middle, yet it consistently underperforms academically. This suggests that factors like instructional strategies or school culture may be more impactful than resources alone. Both schools show a dramatic spike in 8th-grade math proficiency, more than doubling the state average, indicating a highly effective district-wide curriculum or tracking system. For parents, Roma Middle offers stronger overall academics and an upward trend, while Ramiro Barrera Middle provides smaller class sizes but faces significant challenges, particularly in 7th-grade math.
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