Summary:
The Slaton Independent School District (Isd) contains two middle-level schools: Slaton J H, a traditional middle school serving grades 6-8 with 251 students, and Slaton Independent School District (Isd) Daep, a small Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP) serving 8 students in grades 5-11. The district overall ranks in the 17th percentile in Texas, reflecting significant academic challenges.
Slaton J H is the primary middle school and shows a stark contrast with the DAEP. The traditional school spends $13,362 per student with a 14.8:1 student-teacher ratio, while the DAEP spends $66,065 per student with a 1.3:1 ratio—nearly five times the cost for highly individualized instruction. Academically, Slaton J H struggles across subjects: 8th-grade reading proficiency is 52.94%, but math proficiency is critically low, with only 14.44% of 7th graders proficient. The most alarming decline is in 8th-grade social studies, which dropped from 20% to just 5% proficiency in one year, compared to a state average of 30%. Science proficiency is also weak at 21.25%. The school’s state ranking has been volatile, improving from the 16th to 27th percentile recently, but actual scores remain stagnant, suggesting the school is not keeping pace with statewide improvements.
Both schools report a 0% dropout rate, though this is typical for middle schools where attendance is compulsory. The high percentage of economically disadvantaged students (69.72% at Slaton J H) underscores the need for targeted support. The DAEP’s extreme resource intensity raises a key question: could redirecting some of its funding to the traditional school help address foundational academic gaps and reduce the need for disciplinary placements? For parents, the data highlights that while Slaton J H provides a standard middle school experience, its math and social studies performance are critical areas of concern that may require additional attention at home.
Thank you for your feedback!