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Denison High School

Q: Is Denison High School a good school?

Denison High School ranks 1077 th of 2009 Texas high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

1077^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,009 Texas High Schools

Better than 46% of Texas high schools

Summary

Denison High School in Denison, TX, serves 1,351 students in grades 9-12 within the Denison Independent School District (Isd), a mid-to-large sized school where over half of the student body is economically disadvantaged. While the school has a history of solid, mid-tier performance, its statewide rank has notably declined in recent years, dropping to the 46th percentile for the 2025-2026 school year—its lowest point in a decade. This contrasts with nearby schools like Pottsboro High School (86th percentile) and Bells High School (79th percentile), which are maintaining or improving their high ranks.

Despite this overall decline, Denison has a clear academic strength in Biology, with 76.4% of students proficient in the 2025-2026 school year, significantly outpacing the state average of 70.5%. This consistent outperformance suggests an effective science department that could serve as a model for other subjects. The school also maintains an exceptionally high graduation rate of 97.3%, higher than the district average and competitive with top-performing nearby schools, indicating it is effective at ensuring students complete their education even as test scores have slipped. Additionally, Denison consistently outperforms the larger Sherman High School in nearly every academic metric, suggesting the district is managing the challenges of a high-poverty student body more effectively than its neighbor.

However, the school faces challenges, including a significant decline in performance for its Gifted and Talented students, whose rank dropped from the 82nd to the 53rd percentile in recent years. The school's alternative campus, Pathways High School, also highlights the difficulty of serving at-risk students, with very high per-student spending but low academic results. Overall, Denison High School is at a crossroads, with a strong graduation rate and a standout Biology program, but a need to reverse a systemic decline in test scores across most subjects and student groups.

1,351

Students ?

13.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,478

Per pupil spending ?

56.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4200 N State Hwy 91
Denison, TX 75020-6899

(903) 462-7125

District: Denison Independent School District (Isd)

Feeder schools for Denison High School:

Elementary:	Houston Elementary
	Hyde Park Elementary
	Lamar Elementary
	Mayes Elementary
	More...
	Terrell Elementary
Middle:	B McDaniel Intermediate
	Henry Scott Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

53.8%

Hispanic:

24.8%

Two or more races:

9.4%

See top rated Texas high schools

Compare Denison High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 58th percentile in 2016 → 46th in 2026

Strengths

✓97% graduate within 4 years

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 12 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Algebra I scores 13 pts below the Texas average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school57%

District avg56%

Texas avg62%

1,077^th of 2,009

Texas public high schools ?

Bottom 46%▼ down 12 pts since 2016

From top 42% (2016) to bottom 46% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2High Schools in the Denison Independent School District (Isd)

649^th of 951Denison Independent School District (Isd) among Texas districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	45.7	1077 of 2009	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	47.3	982 of 1974	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.1	957 of 1990	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.1	717 of 1961	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.1	559 of 1876	70.2%	★★★★☆
2021	64.1	552 of 1861	70.3%	★★★★☆
2019	59.5	628 of 1857	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.8	576 of 1797	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2017	54.3	654 of 1777	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2016	58.2	741 of 1762	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2015	60.5	686 of 1743	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2014	64.8	522 of 1734	69.9%	★★★★☆
2013	62.1	566 of 1652	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2012	62.8	480 of 1603	70.1%	★★★★☆
2011	70.4	389 of 1672	76.7%	★★★★☆
2010	72.8	275 of 1568	82.5%	★★★★☆
2009	74.6	248 of 1539	83.9%	★★★★☆
2008	68.3	442 of 1510	70.7%	★★★★☆
2007	75.6	244 of 1497	83.7%	★★★★☆
2006	76.5	219 of 1430	84.7%	★★★★☆
2005	71.2	343 of 1429	76.0%	★★★★☆
2004	66.8	461 of 1427	67.7%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	43.1	568 of 1086	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.9	588 of 1065	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.0	564 of 1069	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	51.2	388 of 1031	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.6	371 of 1020	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	40.6	557 of 1024	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.3	573 of 1013	43.4%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	82.4	31 of 530	94.2%	★★★★★
2023	54.0	277 of 525	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	0.6	483 of 487	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	18.4	418 of 486	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	44.0	857 of 1837	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	46.6	829 of 1829	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	49.6	752 of 1810	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.2	829 of 1784	53.5%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	39.8	682 of 1195	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.2	708 of 1437	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	46.0	556 of 1371	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.8	539 of 1278	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	50.2	425 of 1195	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	30.8	797 of 1136	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.5	408 of 1113	63.3%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	47.6	981 of 1936	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.0	995 of 1880	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	57.5	719 of 1891	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.4	546 of 1841	70.3%	★★★★☆
2021	65.6	506 of 1815	72.1%	★★★★☆
2019	57.4	709 of 1798	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.0	693 of 1781	61.1%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	61.9	562 of 1206	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	72.0	211 of 1182	82.1%	★★★★☆
2022	65.6	450 of 1172	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	70.2	380 of 1177	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.0	489 of 1145	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.8	447 of 1137	60.7%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	36.7	1218 of 1860	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.8	829 of 1805	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.6	773 of 1820	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.9	607 of 1762	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	63.5	474 of 1743	72.8%	★★★★☆
2019	58.3	570 of 1714	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.7	508 of 1691	70.0%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	42.3	1089 of 1937	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.3	879 of 1884	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.8	748 of 1897	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.0	456 of 1847	75.3%	★★★★☆
2021	60.1	550 of 1848	70.2%	★★★★☆
2019	56.5	600 of 1818	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.0	597 of 1794	66.7%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	41.3	1108 of 1954	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	49.4	821 of 1891	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.5	738 of 1913	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.5	619 of 1853	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	60.4	600 of 1840	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.1	646 of 1824	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.3	592 of 1803	67.2%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	28.6	530 of 713	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.2	593 of 731	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.9	442 of 677	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.0	362 of 664	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	52.1	261 of 588	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	37.2	379 of 604	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	46.4	310 of 582	46.7%	★★☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	72.5	33 of 103	68.0%	★★★★☆
2024	82.2	18 of 107	83.2%	★★★★☆
2023	85.5	17 of 101	83.2%	★★★★☆
2022	79.7	31 of 106	70.8%	★★★★☆
2021	77.2	34 of 95	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	75.0	30 of 105	71.4%	★★★★☆
2018	75.8	26 of 122	78.7%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	36.5	988 of 1581	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.5	955 of 1548	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.1	583 of 1478	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.7	484 of 1418	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	60.8	340 of 1382	75.4%	★★★★☆
2019	64.4	280 of 1357	79.4%	★★★★☆
2018	57.3	366 of 1347	72.8%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	35.8	1090 of 1584	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.4	970 of 1556	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.3	715 of 1576	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.8	593 of 1525	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	50.1	733 of 1510	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.1	691 of 1526	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	52.8	686 of 1539	55.4%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Asian (2024)94th percentile+42 vs school

Native American (2026)68th percentile+22 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)53rd percentile+7 vs school

At Risk (2022)53rd percentile-17 vs school

Female (2026)49th percentile+3 vs school

African American (2026)48th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)44th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2026)43rd percentile-3 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)43rd percentile-3 vs school

Special Education (2026)38th percentile-9 vs school

Hispanic (2026)35th percentile-12 vs school

White (2026)31st percentile-15 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)26th percentile-21 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Biology76%+6 vs state

U.S. History61%-9 vs state

English II Reading60%~ state avg

English I Reading49%-6 vs state

Algebra I41%-13 vs state

★

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Schools Near Denison High School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				STAAR EOC Algebra I (2026)	STAAR EOC Biology (2026)	STAAR EOC English I Reading (2026)	STAAR EOC English II Reading (2026)	STAAR EOC U.S. History (2026)	STAAR Reading (2026)		STAAR Mathematics (2026)		STAAR Social Studies (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	STAAR EOC Algebra I End of Course	STAAR EOC Biology End of Course	STAAR EOC English I Reading End of Course	STAAR EOC English II Reading End of Course	STAAR EOC U.S. History End of Course	STAAR Reading 7th Grade	STAAR Reading 8th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 7th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 8th Grade	STAAR Social Studies 8th Grade	Total
Denison High School	Public	9-12	4200 N State Hwy 91	Denison	75020	Grayson County	Denison Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(903) 462-7125	1,351	97	13.9	56.6%	727 (53.8%)	125 (9.3%)	335 (24.8%)	18 (1.3%)	19 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	127 (9.4%)	45.7	1077^th of 2009 public high schools	46.4%		47.3	982^nd of 1974 public high schools	50.3%	95	41.5	76.4	49.4	60.5	61.1						$9,478
Pathways High School	Public	9-12	318 W Morgan St	Denison	75020	Grayson County	Denison Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(903) 462-7150	62	5	13.2	75.8%	31 (50.0%)	7 (11.3%)	18 (29.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (9.7%)	3.1	1925^th of 2009 public high schools	4.2%		8.7	1802^nd of 1974 public high schools	8.7%	123	0.0	28.6	20.0	11.8	8.3						$10,900
Pottsboro High School	Public	9-12	901 Hwy 120	Pottsboro	75076	Grayson County	Pottsboro Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(903) 771-0085	460	33	13.7	32.4%	369 (80.2%)	1 (0.2%)	45 (9.8%)	7 (1.5%)	7 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (6.7%)	76.7	288^th of 2009 public high schools	85.7%		71.9	373^rd of 1974 public high schools	81.1%	85	77.0	78.3	73.5	80.6	82.5						$10,267
Jefferson Learning Center	Public	10-12	81 Vandenburg	Denison	75020	Grayson County	Sherman Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(903) 891-6680	82	10	8.2	84.1%	28 (34.1%)	16 (19.5%)	35 (42.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.2%)	2 (2.4%)								(n/a)	0.0		14.3	25.9	61.5						$21,691
Tri County Juvenile Detent	Public	6-12	9501 Dyess	Denison	75020	Grayson County	Sherman Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(903) 786-6326	21	1	20.7	19.0%	8 (38.1%)	7 (33.3%)	4 (19.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (9.5%)	2.5	1954^th of 2009 public high schools	2.7%					(n/a)	0.0										$4,233
Bells High School	Public	9-12	1500 Ole Ambrose Rd	Bells	75414	Grayson County	Bells Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(903) 965-3603	318	31	10.4	33.6%	262 (82.4%)	3 (0.9%)	32 (10.1%)	3 (0.9%)	4 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	13 (4.1%)	70.6	423^rd of 2009 public high schools	78.9%		70.2	409^th of 1974 public high schools	79.3%	14	52.5	88.5	72.0	82.1	70.4						$13,341
Sherman High School	Public	9-12	2907 W Travis St	Sherman	75092	Grayson County	Sherman Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(903) 891-6440	2,143	163	13.1	68.8%	624 (29.1%)	257 (12.0%)	1,036 (48.3%)	69 (3.2%)	18 (0.8%)	3 (0.1%)	136 (6.3%)	37.2	1308^th of 2009 public high schools	34.9%		39.6	1175^th of 1974 public high schools	40.5%	133	34.6	65.4	43.8	53.9	62.1						$10,601
Savoy High School	Public	7-12	605 E Hayes	Savoy	75479	Fannin County	Savoy Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(903) 965-4024	128	14	8.8	53.1%	101 (78.9%)	1 (0.8%)	19 (14.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.9%)	57.6	748^th of 2009 public high schools	62.8%		37.3	1231^st of 1974 public high schools	37.6%	483	20.0	70.0	63.2	76.2	81.8	78.6	70.0	64.3	21.4	15.0	$17,822
Tom Bean High School	Public	9-12	7719 State Hwy 11	Tom Bean	75489	Grayson County	Tom Bean Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(903) 546-6319	213	21	10.0	31.9%	169 (79.3%)	2 (0.9%)	35 (16.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.9%)	60.9	668^th of 2009 public high schools	66.7%		57	746^th of 1974 public high schools	62.2%	78	47.5	79.0	68.9	77.2	63.8						$14,269
Howe High School	Public	9-12	200 E Ponderosa	Howe	75459	Grayson County	Howe Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(903) 745-4400	363	35	10.4	35.0%	230 (63.4%)	11 (3.0%)	95 (26.2%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (6.1%)	67.5	486^th of 2009 public high schools	75.8%		66	524^th of 1974 public high schools	73.5%	38	37.8	86.4	65.0	81.5	79.3						$11,283

Frequently Asked Questions about Denison High School

Is Denison High School a good school?

Denison High School ranks 1077^th of 2009 Texas high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Denison High School in?

Denison Independent School District (Isd)

How many students attend Denison High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,351 students attended Denison High School.

What is the racial makeup of Denison High School?

Students at Denison High School are 54% White, 25% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 9% African American, 1% American Indian, 1% Asian.

What schools feed into Denison High School?

Denison High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Houston Elementary
Elementary : Hyde Park Elementary
Elementary : Lamar Elementary
Elementary : Mayes Elementary
Elementary : Terrell Elementary
Middle : B McDaniel Intermediate
Middle : Henry Scott Middle

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Latest Texas data All new data »

2025–26 STAAR, STAAR EOC & STAAR Spanish test scoresJun 12, 2026

2021–22 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 10, 2026

2023–24 dropout rates & graduation ratesSep 17, 2025

2024–25 STAAR EOC & STAAR Spanish test scoresJun 23, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Texas Education Agency.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.