Pecos High School

Pecos High School in Pecos, TX, serves 854 students in grades 9-12 and is part of the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah Independent School District (Isd), a rural district in West Texas that has received a 1-star rating from the state.

While the school boasts a high graduation rate of 97.1%, this positive figure masks significant academic challenges. Only 20% of students are proficient in Algebra I, compared to the state average of 54%, and proficiency in English I is just 36%. This gap between graduation rates and test scores suggests that students may be progressing to graduation without mastering core subjects. The school spends nearly double the state average per student ($23,153) and maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 12.1:1, yet these resources have not translated into strong academic outcomes. There are no other high schools within 20 miles for direct comparison, but the school consistently ranks in the bottom quarter of Texas high schools.

There are some bright spots. The school shows relative strength in serving its African American students, who rank in the 76th percentile statewide, and its Gifted and Talented program performs in the 46th percentile. Biology and U.S. History proficiency have shown modest improvement in recent years. However, the school struggles significantly with its most vulnerable populations: Special Education students rank in the bottom 5% statewide, English Language Learners in the bottom 10%, and At-Risk students in the bottom 10%. The district's overall low performance suggests these challenges are systemic across the entire Pecos-Barstow-Toyah Independent School District (Isd), not unique to the high school.