High Schools in Stafford Msd

Stafford Msd is served by a single high school, Stafford High School, which enrolls 1,108 students in grades 9-12 and operates in a high-need area where nearly 68% of students are economically disadvantaged.

Stafford High School presents a mixed picture of strengths and challenges. The school boasts an impressive 95.1% graduation rate, well above national averages, and a low 1.5% dropout rate. However, its state ranking places it in the 38th to 43rd percentile (2-star rating) over the past three years, indicating below-median academic performance on standardized tests. The school shows standout performance in U.S. History, where its 71.58% proficiency rate actually exceeds the state average of 70.17%, and in Biology, where its 66.15% proficiency rate is close to the state average of 70.51%. Both subjects have seen significant year-over-year improvements of 10 and 13 points, respectively. In contrast, Algebra I is a critical weakness, with only 26.15% proficiency—dramatically lower than the state average of 54.03% and even below the district average of 45.95%. This subject has shown no improvement over the past year.

The key takeaway for parents is the "graduation vs. proficiency paradox": the school excels at helping students complete coursework and graduate, but struggles to ensure high levels of academic mastery, particularly in math. The persistent Algebra I crisis is a major barrier to college readiness and STEM success, and it appears to be a school-specific instructional challenge. On a positive note, the strong upward trends in Biology and U.S. History suggest that targeted instructional improvements may be taking effect. With a student-teacher ratio of 14.3:1 and per-student spending of $13,695, the school has moderate resources that may need to be more strategically allocated toward intensive math intervention programs to address the Algebra I gap.