Morton School

Morton School in Morton, TX, is a small, PK-12 alternative school serving 368 students within the Morton Independent School District (Isd), a high-poverty area where over 75% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. While the school boasts a strong graduation rate, often reaching 100% in recent years, its academic performance on state assessments is significantly below state averages across nearly all subjects and grade levels, raising concerns about college and career readiness.

Comparing Morton to nearby Whiteface School, just 11.86 miles away, reveals stark differences. Whiteface, serving a similar demographic but with a lower poverty rate (54%), achieves dramatically higher proficiency rates. For example, in 2025-2026, only 21% of Morton students passed English I and 27% passed Algebra I, while Whiteface posted 82% and 76%, respectively. Whiteface also has a perfect 100% graduation rate and a lower student-to-teacher ratio (9:1 vs. 13.8:1), suggesting more individualized attention. This gap highlights that high poverty does not have to limit academic success, as Whiteface consistently outperforms state averages in many subjects.

Morton shows some bright spots, like a notable 69% proficiency in U.S. History in 2023-2024, but overall performance is volatile and inconsistent year-to-year. A particular concern is a "math cliff," where proficiency drops from 50% in 3rd grade to just 8% by 8th grade, indicating a breakdown in middle school math instruction. While Morton excels at keeping students in school, it struggles to ensure they meet academic standards, suggesting a need to investigate successful strategies from schools like Whiteface to improve outcomes.