Summary:
The Santa Rosa Independent School District (Isd) is served by a single middle school, Jo Nelson Middle, which educates 206 students in grades 6 through 8 in a high-poverty area where nearly 90% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
Jo Nelson Middle presents a fascinating "two-speed" academic profile. On one hand, it is a standout in advanced mathematics: 100% of its Algebra I test-takers were proficient in the most recent year, far exceeding the state average of 54%. The school also outperformed the state in 7th-grade math (45.28% vs. 29.41%). On the other hand, it struggles significantly in 6th-grade math (26.53% vs. 38.57% state) and 8th-grade math (33.78% vs. 47.24% state), with social studies being a major weakness at just 20.99% proficiency. This suggests the school successfully accelerates a select group of students into advanced math, but foundational math skills for the broader student body need improvement. A key strength is its very low student-teacher ratio of 10.3:1, which is well below the typical Texas average and supports individualized attention.
Despite these challenges, the school is on a clear upward trajectory. Its state percentile ranking has improved for three consecutive years, rising from the 31st to the 44th percentile. This positive trend, combined with above-average spending of $14,379 per student and a low dropout rate of 0.6%, indicates that school leadership is implementing effective strategies. The volatility in 6th-grade math—which jumped from a catastrophic 7.14% proficiency to 26.53% in just one year—suggests that targeted interventions can yield rapid improvements. For parents, the key takeaway is that Jo Nelson Middle has strong resources and pockets of excellence, but it needs to create more consistent, high-quality instruction across all grade levels and subjects.
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