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Pershing Middle

Q: Is Pershing Middle a good school?

Pershing Middle ranks 1042 nd of 2335 Texas middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades 6-8

1042^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,335 Texas Middle Schools

Better than 55% of Texas middle schools

Summary

Pershing Middle is a mid-sized public school in Houston, TX, serving 1,141 students in grades 6-8 within the Houston Independent School District (Isd), located in the 77025 zip code where nearly 60% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Pershing presents a striking "two-tiered" academic profile. On one hand, it excels in advanced coursework, with students achieving extraordinary proficiency rates of 97% in Biology and 97% in Algebra I End-of-Course exams—results that rival top-performing schools like Lanier Middle and Pin Oak Middle. On the other hand, grade-level math is a significant weakness: only 11% of 7th graders were proficient, the lowest rate among all comparable nearby schools and far below the district average of 26%. Reading performance is inconsistent, with 8th-grade reading (64%) being a bright spot while 7th-grade reading (48%) lags behind. This contrast suggests the school has a highly effective pipeline for accelerating select students into advanced science and math tracks, but struggles with foundational instruction for the broader student body.

Several other factors stand out. Pershing's overall ranking has been volatile, dropping from a peak in the 79th percentile to a recent 55th percentile, while nearby Meyerland Middle has shown steady improvement. A notable red flag is Pershing's reported dropout rate of 4.4%, which is dramatically higher than all other area schools (most under 1.0%). Interestingly, the nearby charter Friends For Life Middle serves a student population with 95% free/reduced lunch yet achieves top-tier results, ranking in the 89th percentile—suggesting that high poverty is not a barrier to success and highlighting areas where Pershing could learn from best practices. The school spends $9,112 per student, slightly above the district average, indicating that challenges are more about resource allocation than funding levels.

1,141

Students ?

15.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,058

Per pupil spending ?

58.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3838 Blue Bonnet
Houston, TX 77025-1230

(713) 295-5240

District: Houston Independent School District (Isd)

Feeder schools for Pershing Middle:

Elementary:	Condit Elementary
	Horn Elementary
	Longfellow Elementary
	Shearn Elementary
	More...
	Twain Elementary
	West University Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

37.2%

African American:

35.9%

White:

15.0%

See top rated Texas middle schools

Compare Pershing Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 50th percentile in 2023 → 55th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 55th (2026) from a 50th-percentile low (2023)

✓Above the Texas median (55th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school47%

District avg51%

Texas avg50%

1,042^nd of 2,335

Texas public middle schools ?

Top 45%▼ down 4 pts since 2016

From top 40% (2016) to top 45% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

14^th of 41Middle Schools in the Houston Independent School District (Isd)

438^th of 951Houston 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	50.1	1042 of 2335	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	60.8	775 of 2344	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.7	1076 of 2372	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	46.8	1164 of 2330	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	65.7	581 of 2254	74.2%	★★★★☆
2021	63.3	652 of 2252	71.0%	★★★★☆
2019	67.3	545 of 2193	75.1%	★★★★☆
2018	68.8	488 of 2080	76.5%	★★★★☆
2017	71.4	424 of 2027	79.1%	★★★★☆
2016	60.8	800 of 1987	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2015	49.2	1117 of 2043	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2014	61.7	740 of 1987	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	63.6	665 of 1973	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	68.9	518 of 1951	73.4%	★★★★☆
2011	73.2	318 of 1895	83.2%	★★★★☆
2010	71.4	359 of 1803	80.1%	★★★★☆
2009	58.1	815 of 1763	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2008	65.6	551 of 1718	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2007	54.8	855 of 1684	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2006	64.0	572 of 1585	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2005	63.6	552 of 1582	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2004	65.2	519 of 1573	67.0%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	42.4	684 of 1295	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.4	779 of 1280	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.5	838 of 1273	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.9	531 of 1251	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	43.5	612 of 1213	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	56.7	404 of 1193	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.3	381 of 1167	67.4%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	44.5	415 of 642	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	64.9	204 of 617	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.4	367 of 616	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	58.5	273 of 606	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	57.0	261 of 589	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	62.3	225 of 594	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.2	283 of 587	51.8%	★★★☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	47.4	963 of 2182	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	32.0	1552 of 2118	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	35.6	1373 of 2058	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	72.5	261 of 2008	87.0%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	39.9	819 of 1390	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.1	788 of 1770	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	36.8	1092 of 1720	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.2	701 of 1643	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	33.7	1120 of 1592	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.6	1270 of 1445	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	43.4	653 of 1376	52.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	50.9	981 of 2240	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.5	1027 of 2242	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	45.6	1177 of 2241	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	66.5	548 of 2221	75.3%	★★★★☆
2021	63.8	628 of 2151	70.8%	★★★★☆
2019	66.7	537 of 2047	73.8%	★★★★☆
2018	67.7	504 of 2008	74.9%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	65.2	535 of 1497	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	45.5	1017 of 1481	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	56.0	790 of 1488	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	55.2	807 of 1501	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	54.9	811 of 1446	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	59.6	655 of 1430	54.2%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	46.5	1047 of 2141	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.4	1068 of 2119	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.7	1123 of 2116	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	66.1	486 of 2077	76.6%	★★★★☆
2021	59.5	637 of 2043	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.2	671 of 1935	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.7	467 of 1895	75.4%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	42.4	1282 of 2253	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.2	1439 of 2235	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.5	1554 of 2251	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	52.2	912 of 2220	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	41.3	1251 of 2172	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	56.6	716 of 2073	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.3	524 of 2039	74.3%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	47.5	1080 of 2253	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.8	1106 of 2246	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	46.3	1143 of 2245	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	62.5	668 of 2228	70.0%	★★★★☆
2021	60.7	697 of 2168	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	65.8	546 of 2069	73.6%	★★★★☆
2018	66.9	499 of 2030	75.4%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	68.7	202 of 806	74.9%	★★★★☆
2024	73.5	157 of 818	80.8%	★★★★☆
2023	76.4	129 of 817	84.2%	★★★★☆
2022	84.7	64 of 813	92.1%	★★★★★
2019	77.5	122 of 753	83.8%	★★★★☆
2018	55.8	286 of 720	60.3%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	58.1	526 of 1956	73.1%	★★★★☆
2024	59.0	558 of 1891	70.5%	★★★★☆
2023	52.2	621 of 1815	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.1	403 of 1757	77.1%	★★★★☆
2021	60.7	372 of 1712	78.3%	★★★★☆
2019	36.3	1039 of 1626	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.8	808 of 1597	49.4%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	86.6	114 of 1731	93.4%	★★★★★
2024	75.1	291 of 1733	83.2%	★★★★☆
2023	81.1	212 of 1749	87.9%	★★★★☆
2022	91.5	53 of 1723	96.9%	★★★★★
2021	91.1	59 of 1700	96.5%	★★★★★
2019	89.0	100 of 1684	94.1%	★★★★★
2018	89.2	95 of 1673	94.3%	★★★★★

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)

White (2026)93rd percentile+38 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)75th percentile+20 vs school

Special Education (2026)73rd percentile+18 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)64th percentile+9 vs school

Female (2026)56th percentile~ school

At Risk (2022)56th percentile-18 vs school

Male (2026)52nd percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2026)51st percentile-4 vs school

African American (2026)47th percentile-8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)43rd percentile-12 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)41st percentile-14 vs school

Asian (2026)35th percentile-20 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Biology97%+27 vs state

Algebra I67%+13 vs state

Reading55%~ state avg

Mathematics35%-5 vs state

Social Studies32%~ state avg

3.7

3 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, October 8, 2014

A fantastic school for academics, athletics and art. The teachers are dedicated and amazing. My kids are happy and thriving at Pershing. Close Quote

by a student
Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Okay everyone who thinks Pershing is bad, Pershing is not made for the weak we fight for our pride and you people who call Pershing "torture" need to become stronger you need to understand PERSHING IS NOT FOR THE WEAK ONLY THE STRONG WHICH MAKE US BETTER. I love Pershing and I will always they are friends and different types of groups are the largest school in Texas and you have the audacity to tell me you didn't have any friends in your first year?!? Pershing Middle School is a A National School to Watch a magnet fine arts school. Pershing also has grade level, Pre-AP, and Vanguard classes that meet all needs of students. Pershing was zone champions in every single sport. Pershing is a diverse school, with many opportunitys.

I AM A PROUD PRIDEFUL PERSHING PANDA Close Quote

by a student
Thursday, August 4, 2011

I finally graduated from the nightmare of a school called Pershing. After 3 years, I'd just love to vent off only a FEW of Pershing's problems. Only a few....

If you start off at Pershing not knowing anyone, expect yourself not to have a single friend until the end of your 7th grade year. That's how it went for not only me, but many others.

I was a student at Pershing MS from 2008-11, and every moment was torture. The hallways are over-crowded, and the school just flat-out has too many students. This leads to over-crowed classes, where I can guarantee, that you won't learn a single thing. From science, to math, to reading, and history, it will all be a fourth-grade elementary review. Even the high school credit classes won't teach you anything more than a fifth-grade TAKS review. From my 3 years of experience there, I forgot more than I learned.

If you think that the electives, or other classes have a chance of outweighing the bad, then you're riding on false hopes. The GYM classes teach you how to over-exert yourself into getting heart attacks, with army-like whistle drills. The coaches will see to it that you will be hurt, physically and emotionally.

Nearly every teacher is incapable of their job. They would rather play solitaire, than teach the needed materials. I can tell you, that out of 29 different teachers I had, and 10 others I met during my time there, only 7, SEVEN, knew how to be a real teacher...

In the end, my friends and I (The three of us applied to Debakey High School) struggled on the entrance exams, and on those exams, were the subjects that Pershing SHOULD HAVE TAUGHT US FROM THE START.

So, please, students and parents---Avoid this school. At. All. Costs.

As a side note:
If you had the same problem as me, and were forced to attend Pershing, hope that you get Mrs. Johnson (6th grade History) Mrs. Bennett (Elective English) or Mrs. Shufelt (8th grade History)I just had to give a shout-out to the teachers that made Pershing slightly bearable. Close Quote

Schools Near Pershing Middle

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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 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 Reading 6th Grade	STAAR Reading 7th Grade	STAAR Reading 8th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 6th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 7th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 8th Grade	STAAR Social Studies 8th Grade	Total
Pershing Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	3838 Blue Bonnet	Houston	77025	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 295-5240	1,141	72	15.7	58.7%	171 (15.0%)	410 (35.9%)	424 (37.2%)	84 (7.4%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	47 (4.1%)	50.1	1042^nd of 2335 public middle schools	55.4%		60.8	775^th of 2344 public middle schools	66.9%	267	67.3	97.4		52.7	47.8	64.0	34.5	10.8	48.6	31.9	$9,058
Pin Oak Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	4601 Glenmont	Bellaire	77401	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	No	(713) 295-6500	1,253	65	19.4	42.9%	373 (29.8%)	122 (9.7%)	499 (39.8%)	185 (14.8%)	3 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	70 (5.6%)	96.7	44^th of 2335 public middle schools	98.1%		94.8	67^th of 2344 public middle schools	97.1%	23	98.3			83.5	86.6	90.6	74.6	69.1	80.4	70.7	$8,531
Services-Ninos Charter Middle	Public, Charter	6-8	5610 Gulfton St	Houston	77081	Harris County	Services-Ninos Charter School	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 592-6055	266	17	16.0	98.5%	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	262 (98.5%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38.2	1452^nd of 2335 public middle schools	37.8%		43.6	1274^th of 2344 public middle schools	45.6%	178	86.4			45.6	55.2	52.9	33.0	23.0	32.3	14.1	$12,918
Friends For Life Middle	Public, Charter	6-8	5503 El Camino Del Rey	Houston	77081	Harris County	Amigos Por Vida-Friends For Life Pub Charter School	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(713) 349-9945	226	15	15.0	95.1%	4 (1.8%)	1 (0.4%)	218 (96.5%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	83.3	260^th of 2335 public middle schools	88.9%		79.5	337^th of 2344 public middle schools	85.6%	77	100.0		100.0	71.4	58.1	66.7	52.8	73.0	87.5	65.2	$6,957
Energized For Excellence Academy Inc Middle	Public, Charter	6-8	6107 Bissonnet	Houston	77081	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 773-3600	515	16	32.1	96.9%	3 (0.6%)	26 (5.0%)	482 (93.6%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	56.4	864^th of 2335 public middle schools	63.0%		42.2	1320^th of 2344 public middle schools	43.7%	456	100.0			45.0	59.2	60.6	41.8	41.5	57.8	24.9	$7,820
Meyerland Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	10410 Manhattan Dr	Houston	77096	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 726-3616	1,166	74	15.6	51.8%	211 (18.1%)	267 (22.9%)	629 (53.9%)	28 (2.4%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	27 (2.3%)	66.8	579^th of 2335 public middle schools	75.2%		61.1	766^th of 2344 public middle schools	67.3%	187	96.3			64.5	64.4	68.6	40.4	40.4	41.7	35.8	$9,312
Lanier Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	2600 Woodhead St	Houston	77098	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	No	(713) 942-1900	1,485	74	20.0	25.7%	470 (31.6%)	200 (13.5%)	446 (30.0%)	268 (18.0%)	2 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	97 (6.5%)	93.5	92^nd of 2335 public middle schools	96.1%		96.3	49^th of 2344 public middle schools	97.9%	43	91.1			91.3	83.9	86.6	76.9	22.6	71.5	75.7	$7,224
Las Americas	Public	6-8	6501 Bellaire Blvd	Houston	77074	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 773-5300	111	13	8.5	98.2%	3 (2.7%)	4 (3.6%)	94 (84.7%)	10 (9.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)											$18,662
Tanglewood Middle	Public	6-8	5215 San Felipe	Houston	77056	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 625-1411	836	48	17.4	65.0%	96 (11.5%)	210 (25.1%)	444 (53.1%)	60 (7.2%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	23 (2.8%)	45.4	1195^th of 2335 public middle schools	48.8%		36.4	1512^th of 2344 public middle schools	35.5%	317	86.1			54.1	47.5	60.9	33.3	15.5	45.7	23.7	$8,169
Southwest Public Schools Lead &global Studies Academy	Public, Charter	6-8	6400 Westpark Dr Ste 200	Houston	77057	Harris County	Southwest Public Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 954-9528	284	4	77.3	91.9%	5 (1.8%)	27 (9.5%)	252 (88.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24.2	1926^th of 2335 public middle schools	17.5%		22.8	1949^th of 2344 public middle schools	16.9%	23	88.9			32.6	37.6	35.3	18.0	34.9	16.2	16.7	$14,581

Frequently Asked Questions about Pershing Middle

How many students attend Pershing Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,141 students attended Pershing Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Pershing Middle?

Students at Pershing Middle are 37% Hispanic, 36% African American, 15% White, 7% Asian, 4% Two or more races.

What district is Pershing Middle in?

Houston Independent School District (Isd)

Is Pershing Middle a good school?

Pershing Middle ranks 1042^nd of 2335 Texas middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

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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.