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Hardin-Jefferson High School

Q: Is Hardin-Jefferson High School a good school?

Hardin-Jefferson High School ranks 345 th of 2009 Texas high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

345^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,009 Texas High Schools

Better than 83% of Texas high schools

Summary

Hardin-Jefferson High School in Sour Lake, TX, is a mid-sized high school serving 782 students in grades 9-12, and it stands out as a pillar of academic strength in a region with significant educational disparities. Part of the high-performing Hardin-Jefferson Independent School District (Isd), the school has a consistent track record of excellence, never ranking below the 75th percentile in Texas over the past decade and currently earning a 4-star rating in the 83rd percentile. With a low poverty rate (33% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch) and a healthy student-teacher ratio of 14:1, the school provides a stable and supportive environment for learning.

What truly sets Hardin-Jefferson apart is its dramatic academic advantage over nearby schools. For example, in the 2025-2026 school year, its proficiency rates in Algebra I (76.4%), Biology (85%), and English I (69.34%) are roughly two to three times higher than those at Beaumont United High School and West Brook Senior High School. The school also boasts an exceptionally high graduation rate of 95.7% and a dropout rate of just 0.7%, compared to rates of 5.6% and 2.8% at those Beaumont schools. While Lumberton High School is also strong, Hardin-Jefferson has shown superior consistency, remaining in the 75th-85th percentile range for the last five years, whereas Lumberton’s ranking has fluctuated more.

Two interesting findings highlight the school’s strengths and challenges. First, its Gifted and Talented program has undergone a remarkable turnaround, jumping from the bottom 20% of the state in 2021-2022 to the top 11% in 2025-2026, suggesting a highly successful overhaul. Second, the school is notably efficient with resources, spending less per student ($10,273) than lower-performing neighbors like West Hardin High School ($12,961) and Hull-Daisetta High School ($18,066). However, support for Special Education students has recently declined, dropping to the 42nd percentile, which is an area for improvement. Overall, Hardin-Jefferson offers a reliable, high-quality education that consistently outperforms most schools in the region.

782

Students ?

14.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,431

Per pupil spending ?

32.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3155 Hwy 326 S
Sour Lake, TX 77659-0639

(409) 981-6430

District: Hardin-Jefferson Independent School District (Isd)

Feeder schools for Hardin-Jefferson High School:

Elementary:	China Elementary
	Sour Lake Elementary
Middle:	Hardin-Jefferson J H

Racial breakdown:

White:

67.1%

African American:

15.5%

Hispanic:

12.0%

See top rated Texas high schools

Compare Hardin-Jefferson High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 84th percentile in 2016 → 83rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Texas average (76% vs 62% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 17% of Texas high schools

✓96% graduate within 4 years

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school76%

District avg77%

Texas avg62%

345^th of 2,009

Texas public high schools ?

Top 17%▼ down 2 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Texas High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

206^th of 951Hardin-Jefferson 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	74.1	345 of 2009	82.8%	★★★★☆
2025	74.4	318 of 1974	83.9%	★★★★☆
2024	71.0	398 of 1990	80.0%	★★★★☆
2023	67.6	484 of 1961	75.3%	★★★★☆
2022	74.5	290 of 1876	84.5%	★★★★☆
2021	76.3	293 of 1861	84.3%	★★★★☆
2019	79.2	203 of 1857	89.1%	★★★★☆
2018	79.7	191 of 1797	89.4%	★★★★☆
2017	80.9	168 of 1777	90.5%	★★★★★
2016	73.7	275 of 1762	84.4%	★★★★☆
2015	76.7	199 of 1743	88.6%	★★★★☆
2014	77.2	197 of 1734	88.6%	★★★★☆
2013	77.7	176 of 1652	89.3%	★★★★☆
2012	62.0	494 of 1603	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2011	73.5	276 of 1672	83.5%	★★★★☆
2010	73.9	239 of 1568	84.8%	★★★★☆
2009	79.0	141 of 1539	90.8%	★★★★★
2008	81.3	120 of 1510	92.1%	★★★★★
2007	75.8	241 of 1497	83.9%	★★★★☆
2006	77.6	189 of 1430	86.8%	★★★★☆
2005	82.0	95 of 1429	93.4%	★★★★★
2004	77.0	179 of 1427	87.5%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	51.4	430 of 1086	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	41.9	528 of 1065	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	46.2	478 of 1069	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.7	279 of 1031	72.9%	★★★★☆
2021	71.3	200 of 1020	80.4%	★★★★☆
2019	72.3	206 of 1024	79.9%	★★★★☆
2018	57.6	328 of 1013	67.6%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	82.7	36 of 556	93.5%	★★★★★
2024	82.4	31 of 530	94.2%	★★★★★
2023	81.8	47 of 525	91.0%	★★★★★

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	56.0	525 of 1837	71.4%	★★★★☆
2021	66.2	366 of 1829	80.0%	★★★★☆
2019	76.1	204 of 1810	88.7%	★★★★☆
2018	88.3	83 of 1784	95.3%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	72.5	212 of 1437	85.2%	★★★★☆
2023	53.5	428 of 1371	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	76.5	131 of 1278	89.7%	★★★★☆
2019	30.0	811 of 1136	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	72.8	336 of 1936	82.6%	★★★★☆
2024	65.1	480 of 1880	74.5%	★★★★☆
2023	63.1	583 of 1891	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	69.2	395 of 1841	78.5%	★★★★☆
2021	73.6	340 of 1815	81.3%	★★★★☆
2019	80.5	180 of 1798	90.0%	★★★★★
2018	81.5	163 of 1781	90.8%	★★★★★

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	70.6	127 of 1206	89.5%	★★★★☆
2023	60.7	618 of 1182	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.0	932 of 1172	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	69.9	392 of 1177	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	70.9	172 of 1145	85.0%	★★★★☆
2018	56.0	668 of 1137	41.2%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	75.2	245 of 1860	86.8%	★★★★☆
2024	75.3	226 of 1805	87.5%	★★★★☆
2023	71.5	312 of 1820	82.9%	★★★★☆
2022	71.3	295 of 1762	83.3%	★★★★☆
2021	77.7	203 of 1743	88.4%	★★★★☆
2019	62.1	476 of 1714	72.2%	★★★★☆
2018	83.5	142 of 1691	91.6%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	67.2	367 of 1937	81.1%	★★★★☆
2024	56.7	579 of 1884	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.6	541 of 1897	71.5%	★★★★☆
2022	63.6	407 of 1847	78.0%	★★★★☆
2021	71.1	302 of 1848	83.7%	★★★★☆
2019	80.5	160 of 1818	91.2%	★★★★★
2018	80.7	164 of 1794	90.9%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	72.5	354 of 1954	81.9%	★★★★☆
2024	70.1	354 of 1891	81.3%	★★★★☆
2023	68.3	438 of 1913	77.1%	★★★★☆
2022	75.8	270 of 1853	85.4%	★★★★☆
2021	76.1	268 of 1840	85.4%	★★★★☆
2019	76.3	259 of 1824	85.8%	★★★★☆
2018	76.2	246 of 1803	86.4%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	71.9	145 of 713	79.7%	★★★★☆
2024	42.6	415 of 731	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.3	395 of 677	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.8	325 of 664	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.7	319 of 588	45.7%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	38.7	915 of 1581	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	55.3	515 of 1548	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.3	462 of 1478	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	69.6	221 of 1418	84.4%	★★★★☆
2021	72.0	200 of 1382	85.5%	★★★★☆
2019	57.4	381 of 1357	71.9%	★★★★☆
2018	81.4	131 of 1347	90.3%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	68.3	357 of 1584	77.5%	★★★★☆
2024	63.6	421 of 1556	72.9%	★★★★☆
2023	58.5	588 of 1576	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.0	343 of 1525	77.5%	★★★★☆
2021	66.0	399 of 1510	73.6%	★★★★☆
2019	73.8	273 of 1526	82.1%	★★★★☆
2018	72.6	283 of 1539	81.6%	★★★★☆

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 (2026)94th percentile+11 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)89th percentile+7 vs school

Hispanic (2026)87th percentile+4 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)85th percentile+5 vs school

Female (2026)83rd percentile~ school

Male (2026)82nd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)81st percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2026)80th percentile-3 vs school

White (2026)77th percentile-5 vs school

At Risk (2022)71st percentile-13 vs school

African American (2026)60th percentile-22 vs school

Special Education (2026)42nd percentile-41 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Biology85%+14 vs state

U.S. History77%+7 vs state

Algebra I76%+22 vs state

English II Reading74%+14 vs state

English I Reading69%+14 vs state

★

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Schools Near Hardin-Jefferson 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
Hardin-Jefferson High School	Public	9-12	3155 Hwy 326 S	Sour Lake	77659	Hardin County	Hardin-Jefferson Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(409) 981-6430	782	54	14.3	32.9%	525 (67.1%)	121 (15.5%)	94 (12.0%)	14 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (3.6%)	74.1	345^th of 2009 public high schools	82.8%		74.4	318^th of 1974 public high schools	83.9%	27	76.4	85.0	69.3	74.0	77.1						$9,431
New Ae	Public	12	200 W Lee St	China	77613	Jefferson County	Hardin-Jefferson Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(409) 981-6400	3	1	3.0		2 (66.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (33.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)											$28,214
West Brook Senior High School	Public	9-12	8750 Phelan Blvd	Beaumont	77706	Jefferson County	Beaumont Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(409) 617-5500	2,213	133	16.6	57.3%	310 (14.0%)	1,150 (52.0%)	543 (24.5%)	132 (6.0%)	6 (0.3%)	5 (0.2%)	67 (3.0%)	36.2	1332^nd of 2009 public high schools	33.7%		28.7	1432^nd of 1974 public high schools	27.5%	100	27.3	57.6	42.3	51.4	72.8						$8,246
West Hardin High School	Public	7-12	39227 Hwy 105	Saratoga	77585	Hardin County	West Hardin County Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(936) 274-5061	254	27	9.4	60.2%	228 (89.8%)	2 (0.8%)	18 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.4%)	43.1	1149^th of 2009 public high schools	42.8%		42.2	1102^nd of 1974 public high schools	44.2%	47	40.5	61.5	61.0	67.6	51.4	48.9	50.0	3.5	26.1	13.5	$12,754
Hull-Daisetta High School	Public	9-12	117 N Main Hwy 770	Daisetta	77533	Liberty County	Hull-Daisetta Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(936) 536-6321	105	16	6.5	63.8%	73 (69.5%)	15 (14.3%)	12 (11.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.8%)	16.8	1696^th of 2009 public high schools	15.6%		33.9	1297^th of 1974 public high schools	34.3%	399	13.5	36.7	31.4	38.5	64.7						$21,716
Lumberton High School	Public	9-12	103 Lhs Dr	Lumberton	77657	Hardin County	Lumberton Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(409) 923-7890	1,232	84	14.6	32.9%	1,031 (83.7%)	12 (1.0%)	146 (11.9%)	8 (0.6%)	6 (0.5%)	2 (0.2%)	27 (2.2%)	71.6	395^th of 2009 public high schools	80.3%		59.8	677^th of 1974 public high schools	65.7%	282	63.3	83.6	73.1	70.3	78.9						$8,949
Beaumont Independent School District (Isd) Early College High School	Public	9-12	3410 Austin St	Beaumont	77706	Jefferson County	Beaumont Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(409) 951-5720	321	22	14.6	70.1%	29 (9.0%)	78 (24.3%)	199 (62.0%)	7 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.5%)	83.2	151^st of 2009 public high schools	92.5%		84.2	149^th of 1974 public high schools	92.5%	2	54.8	93.8	84.0	93.5	91.2						$10,047
Paul A Brown Alternative Center	Public	9-12	88 Jaguar Dr	Beaumont	77702	Jefferson County	Beaumont Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(409) 617-5720	171	15	11.4	94.2%	5 (2.9%)	110 (64.3%)	47 (27.5%)	2 (1.2%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.5%)	2.8	1941^st of 2009 public high schools	3.4%		2.5	1941^st of 1974 public high schools	1.7%		3.9	33.3	4.0	13.3	11.1						$11,366
O C Taylor Center	Public	9-12	2330 N St	Beaumont	77702	Jefferson County	Beaumont Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(409) 617-5740	0	15	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Evolution Academy Beaumont	Public, Charter	9-12	3920 W Cardinal Dr	Beaumont	77705	Jefferson County	Evolution Academy Charter School	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 907-3755	202	9	22.8	87.1%	7 (3.5%)	125 (61.9%)	64 (31.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.0%)	8.5	1817^th of 2009 public high schools	9.6%		3.8	1887^th of 1974 public high schools	4.4%	70	2.5	29.6	8.2	28.1	47.7						$7,219

Frequently Asked Questions about Hardin-Jefferson High School

What schools feed into Hardin-Jefferson High School?

Hardin-Jefferson High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : China Elementary
Elementary : Sour Lake Elementary
Middle : Hardin-Jefferson J H

What is the racial makeup of Hardin-Jefferson High School?

Students at Hardin-Jefferson High School are 67% White, 15% African American, 12% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What district is Hardin-Jefferson High School in?

Hardin-Jefferson Independent School District (Isd)

How many students attend Hardin-Jefferson High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 782 students attended Hardin-Jefferson High School.

Is Hardin-Jefferson High School a good school?

Hardin-Jefferson High School ranks 345^th of 2009 Texas high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Hardin-Jefferson High School!

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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.