Newman International Academy Watauga

Newman International Academy Watauga is a public charter school in Watauga, TX, serving 306 students in grades PK-8, and is part of the Newman International Academy Of Arlington district. The school has received a consistent 2-star rating from Schooldigger over the past three years, placing it in the 35th to 48th percentile of Texas elementary schools, which indicates performance below the state average. A notable recent change is a dramatic shift in its student population, with the percentage of students eligible for free or reduced lunch dropping from about 65% to 36% in a single year, suggesting a significant demographic transition that may affect year-over-year comparisons.

One of the school's biggest challenges is its performance in mathematics, which is a school-wide concern. In the most recent testing year, proficiency rates in math were below the state average in every grade from 3rd to 8th, with particularly large gaps in 3rd grade (22% vs. 44% state), 5th grade (26% vs. 47% state), and 8th grade (0% vs. 47% state). Reading scores are more competitive in grades 4-7 but struggle in 3rd and 8th grades. The school also shows a widening performance gap between male and female students, with male students dropping to the 24th percentile in the most recent year, making them the lowest-performing subgroup. Additionally, the student-teacher ratio has skyrocketed to 26:1, nearly double that of nearby schools like Park Glen Elementary (14.5:1) and Grace E Hardeman Elementary (13.5:1), which may mean larger class sizes and less individualized attention.

Compared to surrounding schools in the highly-rated Birdville Independent School District (Isd) and Keller Independent School District (Isd), Newman International Academy Watauga faces a competitive disadvantage. For example, in 4th grade math, Newman's proficiency rate (45%) is lower than Foster Village Elementary (80%), Grace E Hardeman (62%), and Park Glen (59%). The school's unique PK-8 structure allows it to retain students through middle school, but 8th grade performance is a major concern, with 0% proficient in math and only 11% in social studies. While the school spent a high $18,713 per student in 2020-2021—far more than nearby schools—this data is several years old, and the current academic results suggest families may want to explore higher-performing options in the area.