Summary:
The Waskom Independent School District (Isd) contains a single middle school, Waskom Middle, serving grades 6 through 8 with 179 students in a high-poverty area where nearly 70% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
Waskom Middle shows a striking contrast between its advanced and on-grade-level math programs. The school's Algebra I End-of-Course exam performance is a standout strength, with 70.59% of students proficient in the most recent year, well above the state average of 54.03%. However, on-grade-level math scores are critically low, particularly in 7th grade where only 11.9% of students were proficient compared to the state average of 29.41%. This creates a "two-tier" math system where a select group of advanced students excel while the majority struggle. Reading scores are a relative strength but remain inconsistent, with 8th-grade reading dropping from 63.49% to 46.43% year-over-year. Social Studies is a persistent weakness, with 8th-grade scores around 21% both years, significantly below state averages.
The school's state ranking has been volatile, improving to the 49th percentile in 2024-2025 before dropping sharply to the 26th percentile in 2025-2026. Despite a favorable student-teacher ratio of 10.5 and spending of $13,002 per student, the school ranks in the bottom quartile, suggesting systemic challenges beyond funding. On a positive note, the dropout rate is an excellent 0.0%. Parents should note that while the school has strong pockets of success in advanced math and a low dropout rate, the overall academic performance is inconsistent and significantly below state averages in most subjects, particularly on-grade-level math and social studies.
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