Summary:
The Tornillo Independent School District (Isd) serves approximately 726 students across three schools—Tornillo Intermediate (PK-5), Tornillo J H (6-8), and Tornillo High School (9-12)—in a small, high-poverty community where over 90% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
Tornillo High School stands out as the district’s strongest performer, ranking in the 47th percentile and showing steady improvement. Its Algebra I proficiency rate of 87.8% dramatically exceeds the state average of 54%, and it matches the state in U.S. History. Tornillo J H is a mixed bag: while it struggles with grade-level math (0% proficient in 7th-grade math), it achieves a perfect 100% proficiency rate for 8th graders taking Algebra I, and its 8th-grade Social Studies scores (36.54%) beat the state average. Tornillo Intermediate excels in early literacy, with 71.43% of 3rd graders proficient in English Reading—19 points above the state—and 4th-grade math also outperforms the state. However, a significant bilingual achievement gap exists, with Spanish test-takers scoring far lower than English test-takers, and 5th grade is a weak link, with only 10% proficient in Science.
Key metrics include small class sizes (student-teacher ratios from 11.9 to 13.5) and consistent per-student spending around $12,400-$12,980. The high school’s graduation rate is 89.4%, with a 2.0% dropout rate, while the middle school reports 0% dropouts. Overall, the district shows pockets of excellence—especially in advanced math and early reading—but faces challenges in middle school core subjects and bilingual instruction, making Tornillo J H the weakest link in an otherwise improving system.
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