Summary
Maxfield Elementary in Gorman, TX, is a small, rural PK-5 school serving 108 students within the Gorman Independent School District (Isd), where over 80% of students come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
This school stands out for its exceptional resources: it spends $17,797 per student and maintains a very low student-to-teacher ratio of 8.5:1, both the best in the area. However, these advantages have not translated into consistent academic success. The school’s state ranking has been highly volatile, peaking in the 83rd percentile in 2022 before dropping to the 27th percentile recently. This is a stark contrast to De Leon Elementary, just 11 miles away, which serves a less impoverished population, spends less per student, and consistently ranks in the 95th percentile. The data suggests that while Maxfield has the resources to succeed, it faces significant challenges in translating that investment into stable, high performance.
Academically, the school shows a clear split between subjects. Reading scores are relatively strong, with 3rd-grade reading (53.85%) slightly above the state average, while math scores in 4th and 5th grades are critically low (16.67% and 31.25%, respectively). A bright spot is the school’s work with Special Education students, ranking in the 58th percentile. However, the school struggles most with its economically disadvantaged students, a group that makes up the vast majority of its population. With only 108 students, individual class performance can dramatically swing the school’s overall ranking, making it hard to separate genuine trends from year-to-year fluctuations.
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