Summary:
The three middle schools in the Waco Independent School District (Isd)—Tennyson Middle, Cesar Chavez Middle, and G W Carver Middle—serve grades 6-8 and face significant academic challenges, with the district ranking in the bottom 5% of Texas schools, though they show some bright spots in advanced coursework and student retention.
Tennyson Middle stands out as the strongest performer, ranking in the 17th percentile statewide and consistently outpacing its peers in reading and math. It is the only school to earn a 2-star rating and achieves notably high Algebra I proficiency (71.31%), far above the state average. In contrast, G W Carver Middle faces the steepest hurdles, ranking in the bottom 1% of Texas middle schools with critically low math scores—for example, only 0.84% of 6th graders were proficient in 2024-2025. Despite receiving the highest per-student spending ($14,079) and the smallest class sizes (13:1), Carver has not translated these resources into higher outcomes. Cesar Chavez Middle sits in the middle, ranking in the 3rd percentile, but shares a surprising strength with Tennyson: both schools achieve exceptional Algebra I proficiency (73.68% and 71.31%, respectively), suggesting a strong advanced math program for select students.
A district-wide math crisis is evident, with average 7th-grade math proficiency at just 2.82%—26 points below the state average. However, all three schools maintain low dropout rates (0.3% to 1.3%), below the district average of 2.6%, indicating they successfully retain students through 8th grade. For parents, Tennyson Middle offers the most consistent academic performance, while Cesar Chavez Middle provides a strong Algebra I pathway. G W Carver Middle requires the most support, despite its resource advantages, highlighting that economic challenges deeply impact learning outcomes.
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