Summary:
The Westwood Independent School District (Isd) in Palestine, Texas, is served by a single high school, Westwood High School, which educates 405 students in grades 9 through 12 in a small, rural setting.
Westwood High School presents a striking paradox for parents to consider. On one hand, the school excels at keeping students on track to graduation, boasting an impressive 96.9% graduation rate and a 0.0% dropout rate. This is a significant achievement, especially given that 76.05% of its students come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. The school also offers a very favorable student-to-teacher ratio of 10.5:1, suggesting a more personalized learning environment. However, these positive social and structural supports do not translate into strong academic outcomes on state assessments. The school's state ranking has been on a steady decline, falling from the 32nd percentile to the 17th percentile over the last three years, and it now holds a 1-star rating.
The most critical area of concern is mathematics, with only 5.77% of students scoring proficient in Algebra I, compared to the state average of 54.03%. Performance in other subjects is also below state averages, though U.S. History is a relative bright spot with 52.04% of students proficient. While the school spends over $11,700 per student, these resources are not yielding high academic proficiency. For parents, this data suggests that while Westwood High School provides a supportive environment that successfully guides students to a diploma, it is struggling significantly to deliver the academic instruction needed for students to master core subjects at a proficient level, particularly in math.
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