Summary:
The Walcott Independent School District (Isd) is a small, rural district in Hereford, Texas, serving just one school, Walcott Elementary, which educates 146 students from pre-kindergarten through 6th grade.
Walcott Elementary earns a strong 4-star rating, ranking in the 75th percentile among Texas districts. The school’s standout feature is its exceptional 6th-grade performance, with 80% of students proficient in both Reading and Math in the most recent year, far exceeding state averages. However, performance is inconsistent across grades: 3rd and 4th-grade scores show significant volatility, with 4th-grade Reading dropping from 57.89% to 41.18% proficiency in one year. The school’s math program is a clear strength, especially in 5th and 6th grades, but 5th-grade Science is a notable weakness, with only 25% of students proficient, below the state average. The student-teacher ratio is relatively high at 19.3 students per teacher, and per-student spending is $12,769, which is notable for a small district.
The most important takeaway for parents is the "6th Grade Effect," where upper-grade students dramatically outperform lower grades, suggesting a highly effective program or teacher at that level that the district should study and replicate. The small enrollment of 146 students can lead to personalized attention in upper grades but also makes lower-grade scores more volatile due to small class sizes. While the school excels in math and reading for older students, the weak science scores and inconsistent performance in 3rd and 4th grades are areas of concern that families should investigate further.
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