Wharton Independent School District (Isd)

The Wharton Independent School District (Isd) is a small, rural district in Texas serving about 1,767 students across four schools: Wharton High School, Wharton J H (middle school), Wharton Elementary, and C G Sivells Elementary (PK-1st grade). The district faces significant academic challenges, ranking in the bottom 5% of all Texas districts, with a very high rate of economic disadvantage averaging nearly 80% across schools.

The most notable standout is Wharton J H, which shows a dramatic "pocket of excellence" in advanced math: over 87% of its 8th graders taking Algebra I are proficient, far exceeding state averages. However, this contrasts sharply with the school's standard math classes, where only 3% of 7th graders and 8% of 6th graders are proficient. Meanwhile, Wharton High School is the lowest-performing school in the district, with a graduation rate of 87.7% and proficiency rates in all core subjects (Algebra I, Biology, English) that are 20-30 percentage points below state averages. C G Sivells Elementary serves the youngest students and has the highest poverty rate (nearly 90%), but has no test scores available, making it a "black box" in terms of academic performance.

Mathematics is a district-wide crisis, with proficiency rates alarmingly low: only 8.77% of 5th graders at Wharton Elementary and 16.67% of high schoolers in Algebra I are proficient. Reading shows a slightly more positive trend, with 8th-grade reading at Wharton J H improving to 52% proficiency, though still below state averages. A key concern is resource allocation: C G Sivells Elementary, with the highest poverty, receives the lowest per-student spending ($10,028), while Wharton Elementary, with lower poverty, receives the highest ($12,336). This suggests funding may not be directed to the schools with the greatest need.