Mattei Middle

Mattei Middle in Princeton, TX, is a public school serving 839 students in grades 6-8 within the Princeton Independent School District (Isd), where nearly 70% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, reflecting a predominantly low socio-economic status community.

Mattei Middle stands out for its exceptional performance in Algebra I, with a remarkable 98.55% of students proficient in the most recent year—far exceeding the district average of 56.88% and the state average of 54.03%. This "island of excellence" rivals top-tier schools like Walter & Lois Curtis Middle (98.68%) and Willow Springs Middle (99.18%). However, the school struggles significantly in other areas, particularly 8th Grade Social Studies, where only 22.36% of students were proficient—well below the district (30.99%) and state (31.69%) averages. In 8th Grade Reading, Mattei's 52.4% proficiency rate is dramatically lower than nearby schools like Walter & Lois Curtis Middle (87.61%) and Willow Springs Middle (90.53%), highlighting a strong correlation between socio-economic factors and academic performance in the region.

Within its own district, Mattei is the lowest-performing middle school, ranking in the 49th percentile compared to Clark Middle (75th percentile) and Southard Middle (66th percentile). The school also shows inconsistent support for Special Education students, with rankings fluctuating from the 59th percentile to the 7th percentile and back. While Mattei's overall ranking has slightly declined from the 55th to the 49th percentile over three years, its Algebra I program remains a standout strength that could serve as a model for improvement in other subjects.