Summary:
The Taylor Independent School District (Isd) serves two high schools, Taylor High School and Legacy Early College High School, offering grades 9-12 in the Taylor, Texas area. The district itself holds a 2-star rating, ranking in the 42nd percentile statewide, but this average masks a dramatic performance gap between its two schools.
Legacy Early College High School is the clear standout, earning a 5-star rating and ranking in the 95th percentile. It achieves near-universal proficiency in subjects like Biology (91%), English I (91%), and U.S. History (97%), with a 100% graduation rate and zero dropouts. Remarkably, it accomplishes this with lower per-student spending ($8,008) and a slightly higher student-teacher ratio (13.4) than its counterpart. In contrast, Taylor High School is a 1-star school ranking in the 27th percentile, struggling to meet state averages in all academic subjects. Despite spending 54% more per student ($12,303) and having a lower student-teacher ratio (12.9), its proficiency rates lag significantly—for example, only 31% of students are proficient in Algebra I compared to the state average of 54%.
A key takeaway is that socioeconomic factors are not deterministic. While Taylor High School has a higher percentage of economically disadvantaged students (64.75% vs. 48.57%), Legacy Early College High School still serves nearly half its students from similar backgrounds and excels. Additionally, there is a positive trend at Taylor High School, with year-over-year improvements in every subject from 2024-2025 to 2025-2026, suggesting recent interventions may be taking effect. The district’s central challenge is how to replicate Legacy Early College’s efficient, high-impact model to benefit the larger student population at Taylor High School.
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