Summary
Dilley High School is a small, rural high school in Dilley, TX, serving 258 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Dilley Independent School District (Isd), which ranks in the bottom 11th percentile of all Texas school districts. Despite a low student-to-teacher ratio of 9.5:1 and high per-pupil spending of over $15,600, the school has consistently earned a 1-star rating from Schooldigger for the past decade, with state rankings in the bottom 15th percentile for the last five years. Over 72% of students are economically disadvantaged, and while the school maintains a strong graduation rate above 93%, its core academic performance on STAAR End-of-Course exams is significantly lower than nearby schools like Cotulla High School and Pearsall High School.
For example, in the 2025-2026 school year, only 31.6% of Dilley students were proficient in English I Reading, compared to 54.1% at Cotulla and 33.1% at Pearsall. In Biology, Dilley’s proficiency rate was 44.9%, trailing Cotulla’s 56.6% and Pearsall’s 51.8%. The school’s Algebra I performance has been extremely volatile, dropping to just 2% proficiency in 2022-2023 before rebounding to 40.8% in 2025-2026—a pattern not seen in comparison schools, suggesting instability in math instruction. Additionally, Dilley ranks in the 2nd percentile statewide for English Language Learners and the 3rd percentile for Special Education students, indicating critical gaps in support for its most vulnerable populations.
An interesting finding is that Dilley’s White student subgroup performed exceptionally well, ranking in the 86th percentile statewide in 2023-2024, while the majority Hispanic student body ranked in the 7th percentile. This stark equity gap suggests that the school’s instructional model is not effectively serving its diverse student body. Despite high spending and small class sizes, the school’s academic outcomes remain the worst among its neighbors, pointing to a need for a fundamental overhaul of curriculum and instruction rather than additional resources. The strong graduation rate shows the school keeps students enrolled, but it is failing to ensure they are academically proficient by graduation.
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