Summary:
The Westwood Independent School District (Isd) in Palestine, TX, operates a single middle school, Westwood J H, serving grades 7 and 8 with a total enrollment of 200 students. This school serves a high-poverty community, with 80% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, and it has consistently ranked in the bottom 10% of Texas middle schools over the past three years, earning 0 out of 5 stars each year.
Academically, Westwood J H faces significant challenges across nearly all subjects. For the 2025-2026 school year, proficiency rates were far below state averages, with the largest gaps in 8th Grade Mathematics (13.83% vs. 47.24% statewide) and 8th Grade Social Studies (4.49% vs. 31.69% statewide). However, there is a notable bright spot in Algebra I, where students taking the End-of-Course exam achieved a 31.58% proficiency rate in 2024-2025, more than double the district average and much closer to the state average of 47.01%. This suggests that accelerated math students are performing relatively well.
Despite a favorable student-teacher ratio of 10.3:1 and per-student spending of $13,545, these resources have not translated into improved test scores, indicating deep systemic challenges. The school's dropout rate of 0.4% is four times higher than the district's 0.1% rate, highlighting a vulnerability in student retention. For parents, the key takeaway is that while Westwood J H invests heavily in small class sizes, its academic performance remains persistently low, with critical weaknesses in social studies and math that require immediate attention.
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