Summary
Houston Middle is a public middle school in Amarillo, Texas, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 571 students. It is part of the Amarillo Independent School District (ISD), which is ranked 411 out of 961 school districts in Texas and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger. However, Houston Middle has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Texas middle schools, typically in the range of 1,500-1,800 out of over 2,000 schools, and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.
Houston Middle's test scores are significantly lower than the Amarillo ISD and Texas state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2024-2025, only 39.02% of 6th graders were proficient or better in STAAR Reading, compared to 55.2% for Amarillo ISD and 54.21% for Texas. The school also has relatively high dropout rates, ranging from 0.4% to 1.7%, which are higher than the district and state averages. Additionally, Houston Middle has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 81.05% to 87.96% over the past few years, indicating a high concentration of economically disadvantaged students.
Despite the higher spending per student, around $11,000-$12,000 per year, and a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 11.7 to 13.1, Houston Middle's performance remains well below the district and state averages. When compared to other nearby schools in the Amarillo ISD, such as Bonham Middle and Lorenzo De Zavala Middle, which have significantly higher test scores and overall performance ratings, it becomes clear that Houston Middle is underperforming relative to its peers. Addressing the unique challenges faced by Houston Middle will require a comprehensive school improvement plan that considers the school's socioeconomic context and targeted interventions to support student learning and achievement.
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