George Wagner Middle

George Wagner Middle in Georgetown, TX, serves 837 students in grades 6-8 and is part of the Georgetown Independent School District (Isd), a district rated 3 stars statewide. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom quartile of Texas middle schools over the past seven years, currently sitting at the 27th percentile, which is notably lower than its same-district peers like James Tippit Middle (57th percentile) and Charles A Forbes Middle (39th percentile). Nearby schools in the Round Rock Independent School District (Isd), such as James Garland Walsh Middle (96th percentile), far outperform George Wagner, highlighting a significant gap in academic achievement.

The school's most pressing challenge is mathematics proficiency, where scores are critically low across all grades. For example, only 13% of 6th graders and 26% of 8th graders met grade-level standards in math, compared to state averages of 39% and 47%, respectively. Reading proficiency is also a concern, particularly in 7th and 8th grades, where scores lag 10-16 percentage points behind the state. However, there is a striking exception: students enrolled in Algebra I at George Wagner achieve exceptional results, with 63% scoring proficient on the end-of-course exam—well above the district and state averages. This "Algebra I paradox" suggests that while the school excels at supporting advanced learners, it struggles to bring the majority of students up to grade-level standards.

Despite these challenges, there are signs of potential improvement. The school's overall rank has risen from the 14th percentile in 2021-2022 to the 27th percentile in 2025-2026, and some student subgroups have shown volatile but promising gains. For instance, African American students jumped from the 9th percentile to the 47th percentile in one year before settling back. The school's per-student spending ($9,971) and student-teacher ratio (13.1) are comparable to other area schools, indicating that resources alone are not the issue. For parents, the key takeaway is that George Wagner offers strong advanced math programs but faces significant hurdles in core grade-level instruction, making it a school where targeted support and sustained effort could drive meaningful change.