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Rice Challenge Academy

Q: Is Rice Challenge Academy a good school?

Rice Challenge Academy ranks 1440 th of 2009 Texas high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

1440^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,009 Texas High Schools

Better than 28% of Texas high schools

Summary

Rice Challenge Academy in Eagle Lake, TX, is a small high school serving 114 students in grades 9-12, part of the Rice Consolidated Independent School District, and stands out for its near-universal economic disadvantage rate of over 97%—the highest in the region.

This school presents a fascinating paradox: while its overall state ranking is low (28th percentile), it achieves elite-level results for specific student groups. For example, its English Language Learner (ELL) students ranked in the 79th percentile statewide in 2025-2026, and its Special Education students reached the 93rd percentile in 2022-2023. This suggests highly effective, targeted support systems that don't yet extend to the broader student body. In contrast, nearby Brazos High School and East Bernard High School have much lower poverty rates (48% and 30%, respectively) and higher overall rankings. Interestingly, Rice Challenge Academy actually outperforms its district counterpart, Rice High School (16th percentile), despite Rice High School having a lower poverty rate (70%) and a much smaller student-to-teacher ratio (13.5:1 vs. 28.8:1).

The school shows clear subject-specific strengths and weaknesses. U.S. History is a consistent bright spot, with proficiency rates above the state average (72.34% in 2025-2026). However, Algebra I is a persistent challenge, with proficiency rates in the single digits for three of the last four years. The very high student-to-teacher ratio of 28.8:1—more than double that of any nearby school—likely limits individualized instruction. Overall, Rice Challenge Academy is a school fighting an uphill battle with limited resources, yet achieving remarkable pockets of success that deserve attention and replication.

114

Students ?

28.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$6,362

Per pupil spending ?

97.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

600 Fm 3013
Eagle Lake, TX 77434

(979) 234-3531

District: Rice Consolidated Independent School District

Racial breakdown:

White:

47.4%

African American:

23.7%

Hispanic:

21.9%

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Compare Rice Challenge Academy to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 14th percentile in 2018 → 28th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 14 percentile points since 2018

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (45% vs 62% meeting standards)

!Algebra I scores 45 pts below the Texas average

!Large classes — about 29 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school45%

District avg40%

Texas avg62%

1,440^th of 2,009

Texas public high schools ?

Bottom 28%▲ up 14 pts since 2018

From bottom 14% (2018) to bottom 28% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2High Schools in the Rice Consolidated Independent School District

699^th of 951Rice Consolidated Independent School District 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	31.8	1440 of 2009	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	12.3	1741 of 1974	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	10.2	1785 of 1990	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.2	1536 of 1961	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.2	1460 of 1876	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.3	1636 of 1861	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.9	1518 of 1857	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	14.4	1546 of 1797	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	29.0	771 of 1086	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.2	879 of 1069	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.7	700 of 1031	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	15.0	899 of 1020	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.9	822 of 1024	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.2	728 of 1013	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	49.3	688 of 1837	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	43.0	909 of 1829	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	41.4	987 of 1810	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	35.6	1146 of 1784	35.8%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	63.8	256 of 1195	78.6%	★★★★☆
2023	86.9	94 of 1371	93.1%	★★★★★
2021	47.4	469 of 1195	60.8%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	18.4	1629 of 1936	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	8.4	1719 of 1891	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	16.4	1562 of 1841	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	6.4	1709 of 1815	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	15.2	1577 of 1798	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	7.9	1659 of 1781	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	19.2	1567 of 1860	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.0	1481 of 1820	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	12.4	1581 of 1762	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	9.0	1615 of 1743	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	24.3	1406 of 1714	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	8.6	1579 of 1691	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2023	31.5	1325 of 1897	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	15.9	1618 of 1847	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	4.5	1808 of 1848	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	20.0	1559 of 1794	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	36.5	1226 of 1954	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.2	1329 of 1913	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.4	1147 of 1853	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	18.0	1540 of 1840	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.1	1462 of 1824	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.0	1511 of 1803	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2023	70.0	241 of 1478	83.7%	★★★★☆
2022	84.3	97 of 1418	93.2%	★★★★★
2018	19.6	1269 of 1347	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	40.0	987 of 1584	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	11.4	1417 of 1576	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.0	1255 of 1525	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.8	1283 of 1510	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	13.8	1386 of 1526	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	14.3	1377 of 1539	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Special Education (2023)84th percentile+62 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)79th percentile+50 vs school

At Risk (2022)63rd percentile+40 vs school

White (2026)38th percentile+9 vs school

Male (2026)37th percentile+9 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2023)30th percentile+8 vs school

African American (2026)29th percentile~ school

Female (2026)16th percentile-12 vs school

Hispanic (2026)16th percentile-13 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

U.S. History72%~ state avg

English II Reading50%-10 vs state

Biology41%-30 vs state

English I Reading25%-30 vs state

Algebra I9%-45 vs state

★

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Schools Near Rice Challenge Academy

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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 EOC English II Reading (2026)	STAAR EOC U.S. History (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 EOC English II Reading End of Course	STAAR EOC U.S. History End of Course	Total
Rice Challenge Academy	Public	9-12	600 Fm 3013	Eagle Lake	77434	Colorado County	Rice Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	No	(979) 234-3531	114	4	28.8	97.4%	54 (47.4%)	27 (23.7%)	25 (21.9%)	1 (0.9%)	4 (3.5%)	1 (0.9%)	2 (1.8%)	31.8	1440^th of 2009 public high schools	28.3%		12.3	1741^st of 1974 public high schools	11.8%	301	9.1	40.9	25.0	50.0	72.3	$6,362
Rice High School	Public	9-12	1095 Raider Dr	Altair	77412	Colorado County	Rice Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	No	(979) 234-3531	348	26	13.5	70.4%	63 (18.1%)	55 (15.8%)	226 (64.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.1%)	17.3	1689^th of 2009 public high schools	15.9%		21.8	1574^th of 1974 public high schools	20.3%	115	13.3	34.8	40.4	39.2	51.5	$11,923
East Bernard High School	Public	9-12	723 College St	East Bernard	77435	Wharton County	East Bernard Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(979) 335-7519	302	29	10.2	29.8%	179 (59.3%)	21 (7.0%)	100 (33.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	73.9	349^th of 2009 public high schools	82.6%		76.4	284^th of 1974 public high schools	85.6%	65	29.3	84.5	85.5	84.4	85.1	$12,410
Sealy High School	Public	9-12	2372 Championship Dr	Sealy	77474	Austin County	Sealy Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(979) 885-3515	1,002	68	14.7	61.3%	319 (31.8%)	70 (7.0%)	568 (56.7%)	9 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	34 (3.4%)	43.1	1150^th of 2009 public high schools	42.8%		43.7	1071^st of 1974 public high schools	45.7%	79	40.2	62.2	55.8	51.4	68.1	$8,168
Columbus Crossing High School	Public	11-12	1421 Austin St	Columbus	78934	Colorado County	Columbus Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(979) 732-2963	14	0	17.1	78.6%	7 (50.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (42.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (7.1%)								(n/a)	0.0		0.0			$14,932
Columbus High School	Public	9-12	103 Cardinal Ln	Columbus	78934	Colorado County	Columbus Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(979) 732-5746	524	40	13.1	50.6%	239 (45.6%)	35 (6.7%)	242 (46.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.1%)	42.6	1168^th of 2009 public high schools	41.9%		41.9	1110^th of 1974 public high schools	43.8%	58	39.3	65.2	46.5	55.5	69.0	$12,708
Brazos High School	Public	9-12	16621 Hwy 36 S	Wallis	77485	Austin County	Brazos Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(979) 478-6832	317	25	12.5	48.3%	118 (37.2%)	17 (5.4%)	171 (53.9%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.5%)	70.9	412^th of 2009 public high schools	79.5%		61.2	638^th of 1974 public high schools	67.7%	226	56.1	86.8	70.1	74.3	78.4	$12,432

Frequently Asked Questions about Rice Challenge Academy

What is the racial makeup of Rice Challenge Academy?

Students at Rice Challenge Academy are 47% White, 24% African American, 22% Hispanic, 4% American Indian, 2% Two or more races.

How many students attend Rice Challenge Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 114 students attended Rice Challenge Academy.

Is Rice Challenge Academy a good school?

Rice Challenge Academy ranks 1440^th of 2009 Texas high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What district is Rice Challenge Academy in?

Rice Consolidated Independent School District

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Latest Texas data All new data »

2025–26 STAAR, STAAR EOC & STAAR Spanish test scoresJun 12, 2026

2021–22 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 10, 2026

2023–24 dropout rates & graduation ratesSep 17, 2025

2024–25 STAAR EOC & STAAR Spanish test scoresJun 23, 2025

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.