Reagan County Middle

Reagan County Middle in Big Lake, TX, serves 178 students in grades 6 through 8 and is part of the Reagan County Independent School District (Isd), a small rural district with no other schools within 20 miles.

This school has experienced a dramatic and concerning decline in recent years. After reaching a peak performance in the 2021-2022 school year (67th percentile, 3 stars), its overall ranking has dropped sharply to the 24th percentile (1 star) for the 2025-2026 school year. The most striking feature is a stark contrast in how the school serves different student groups. While it has been highly effective with White students (ranking in the 69th percentile, 3 stars), it has critically underperformed with English Language Learner (ELL) students, ranking in the bottom 5th percentile (0 stars) for three consecutive years. Performance for students from low socio-economic backgrounds has also collapsed, dropping from the 55th percentile (3 stars) to the 16th percentile (1 star) in just two years. This suggests that support systems that once worked for vulnerable populations may have eroded.

Despite these challenges, there are notable bright spots. The school excels in Algebra I, with 64.29% of students proficient, significantly outpacing the state average of 54.03%. This creates a "two-tiered" math system where advanced students thrive, but general 8th-grade math performance lags (24.32% proficient vs. state 47.24%). The school is also well-funded, spending $19,377 per student (well above the national average), and has a favorable student-teacher ratio of 9.4:1. These resources make the poor academic outcomes even more puzzling, pointing to a potential issue with resource allocation or instructional effectiveness rather than a lack of funding. Immediate, targeted intervention for struggling subgroups is essential to reverse the current downward trend.