Spearman Independent School District (Isd)

The Spearman Independent School District (Isd) is a small, unified district in Texas serving approximately 692 students across three schools: Gus Birdwell Elementary (grades PK-5), Spearman J H (grades 6-8), and Spearman High School (grades 9-12). The district ranks in the 69th percentile statewide and serves a student population where roughly 64% are economically disadvantaged, yet it maintains exceptionally low student-teacher ratios (ranging from 8.3:1 at the high school to 11.8:1 at the elementary school), allowing for significant individualized attention.

Spearman High School stands out as the district's strongest performer, achieving a perfect 100% graduation rate and a 0% dropout rate. It consistently exceeds state averages in core subjects, particularly in literacy, with English II Reading proficiency at 74.36% compared to the state's 59.88%. In contrast, Spearman J H presents a "math paradox": while only 7.69% of 8th graders are proficient in standard math, an impressive 81.25% of students taking Algebra I are proficient—far above the state average of 54.03%. This suggests the middle school excels at accelerating top math students but struggles with the general curriculum. Gus Birdwell Elementary shows resilience, with notable year-over-year improvement in 3rd-grade math (from 35.9% to 51.11% proficiency, now above the state average) and 5th-grade math, though a dip in 4th-grade reading and math warrants attention.

Key takeaways include a district-wide "science gap," with 5th-grade and 8th-grade science scores below state averages, and a resource allocation question: Spearman J H has the highest per-student spending ($13,956) but shows the most volatile performance, while Gus Birdwell Elementary spends the least ($11,744) yet demonstrates strong improvement. Overall, the district offers small class sizes and a high school with exceptional graduation outcomes, but families should note the middle school's uneven math performance and the need for stronger science instruction across all grade levels.