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Terrell High School

Q: Is Terrell High School a good school?

Terrell High School ranks 1530 th of 2057 Texas high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

1530^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,057 Texas High Schools

Better than 26% of Texas high schools

Summary

Terrell High School is a large public high school in Terrell, TX, serving 1,458 students in grades 9-12 within the Terrell Independent School District (Isd), a district that faces significant challenges. Over 75% of students come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, and the school’s state ranking has declined from the 50th percentile a decade ago to the 25th percentile in recent data, indicating a long-term trend of lower academic performance compared to other Texas schools.

When compared to nearby schools, Terrell High School shows clear differences. For example, in the most recent school year, only 22.48% of Terrell students were proficient in Algebra I, while Rockwall-Heath High School (82nd percentile) achieved 43.75% proficiency and Pioneer Technology (Ptaa) Fate (75th percentile) reached 55.17%. Even Forney High School (51st percentile) outperformed Terrell in every subject. Notably, Terrell spends more per student ($11,454) than Rockwall-Heath ($8,690) or Forney ($8,813), suggesting that funding alone isn’t the issue—rather, the school must address how resources are used to support its high-need population.

Despite these challenges, there are bright spots. Terrell’s Biology proficiency rate (59.64%) was significantly higher than its other subjects and even exceeded the district average, hinting at a particularly effective teacher or program. The school also shows remarkable improvement for English Language Learners, jumping from the 19th to the 61st percentile in one year. Additionally, Terrell maintains a graduation rate around 90-91%, which is comparable to Forney High School (92.9%) and far better than the district’s alternative schools, like Terrell Alternative Education Center/Phoenix School (4th percentile) and Tisd Child & Adolescent School (8th percentile), which have high dropout rates. These successes suggest that replicating effective strategies in Biology and ELL support could be key to future improvement.

1,458

Students ?

16.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,301

Per pupil spending ?

75.5%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

400 Poetry Rd
Terrell, TX 75160-9550

(972) 563-7525

District: Terrell Independent School District (Isd)

Feeder schools for Terrell High School:

Elementary:	Dr Bruce Wood Elementary
	Gilbert Willie Senior Elementary
	J W Long Elementary
Middle:	Herman Furlough Junior Middle

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

57.9%

African American:

19.1%

White:

18.2%

See top rated Texas high schools

Compare Terrell High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 50th percentile in 2016 → 26th in 2026

Strengths

✓94% graduate within 4 years

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (46% vs 62% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 24 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school46%

District avg45%

Texas avg62%

1,530^th of 2,057

Texas public high schools ?

Bottom 26%▼ down 25 pts since 2016

From top 50% (2016) to bottom 26% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 3High Schools in the Terrell Independent School District (Isd)

812^th of 947Terrell Independent School District (Isd) 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	29.0	1530 of 2057	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	22.7	1561 of 1974	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.2	1561 of 1990	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.5	1529 of 1961	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.4	1358 of 1876	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.9	1346 of 1861	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.7	1329 of 1857	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.4	1158 of 1797	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	41.1	987 of 1777	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2016	53.3	878 of 1762	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2015	54.6	854 of 1743	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2014	44.6	1059 of 1734	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2013	32.6	1239 of 1652	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	37.5	1151 of 1603	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	46.7	1174 of 1672	29.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	43.9	1166 of 1568	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	39.2	1187 of 1539	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	42.6	1078 of 1510	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	47.3	980 of 1497	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2006	55.4	785 of 1430	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2005	69.2	387 of 1429	72.9%	★★★★☆
2004	63.1	571 of 1427	60.0%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	28.1	793 of 1101	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	20.8	676 of 834	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.1	921 of 1065	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.0	944 of 1069	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.2	820 of 1031	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.2	693 of 1020	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.5	621 of 1024	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.6	604 of 1013	40.4%	★★☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	29.1	1321 of 1837	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.2	1570 of 1829	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.7	1427 of 1810	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.9	1418 of 1784	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	50.5	474 of 1209	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	21.5	937 of 1153	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.5	1278 of 1437	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.4	1166 of 1371	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.4	1127 of 1278	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.6	1008 of 1195	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.3	871 of 1136	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.5	740 of 1113	33.5%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	27.0	1513 of 1976	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.8	1220 of 1504	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.8	1542 of 1880	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.5	1462 of 1891	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	31.7	1278 of 1841	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	31.7	1275 of 1815	29.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	33.4	1287 of 1798	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.3	1207 of 1781	32.2%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	41.4	946 of 1208	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	32.7	774 of 964	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	62.7	560 of 1182	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.6	731 of 1172	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	66.0	492 of 1177	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	65.3	446 of 1145	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.4	531 of 1137	53.3%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	33.3	1324 of 1909	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	23.0	1169 of 1453	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.3	1471 of 1805	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.6	1372 of 1820	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	33.6	1165 of 1762	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	29.8	1257 of 1743	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	32.1	1219 of 1714	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	39.1	1005 of 1691	40.6%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	32.7	1410 of 1976	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.6	1205 of 1513	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.5	1512 of 1884	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.0	1481 of 1897	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.3	1281 of 1847	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	32.3	1294 of 1848	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	33.8	1295 of 1818	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.4	1214 of 1794	32.3%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	26.9	1504 of 1993	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	16.1	1297 of 1515	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.1	1607 of 1891	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.4	1522 of 1913	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.4	1371 of 1853	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.1	1397 of 1840	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.4	1386 of 1824	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.1	1250 of 1803	30.7%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	4.8	695 of 715	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	22.9	484 of 598	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.9	598 of 731	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	48.9	310 of 677	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.0	333 of 664	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.9	256 of 588	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	12.7	551 of 604	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	27.8	1254 of 1610	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	39.3	754 of 1299	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.4	1126 of 1548	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.6	1100 of 1478	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.5	1030 of 1418	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	31.3	1007 of 1382	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.3	1130 of 1357	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.4	868 of 1347	35.6%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	25.5	1278 of 1611	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.0	1105 of 1294	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.6	1331 of 1556	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.4	1246 of 1576	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.3	1149 of 1525	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	29.8	1135 of 1510	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.6	1228 of 1526	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.8	1229 of 1539	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2026)61st percentile+35 vs school

Hispanic (2026)31st percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)29th percentile+3 vs school

At Risk (2022)28th percentile~ school

African American (2026)28th percentile~ school

Male (2026)25th percentile~ school

Female (2026)23rd percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)22nd percentile-4 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)22nd percentile-4 vs school

White (2026)21st percentile-5 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)3rd percentile-23 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Biology60%-11 vs state

U.S. History52%-18 vs state

English II Reading49%-11 vs state

English I Reading43%-12 vs state

Algebra I22%-32 vs state

3.7

3 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, May 14, 2018

These teachers are awesome and have helped my kids so much! Any time they struggle they are always there to help with encouraging words and extra tutoring Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, April 16, 2018

Terrell High School and Terrell schools have had a negative image for the past 15 years or longer. High teacher turnover, low teacher morale, issues, declining test score averages and parents kept in the dark regarding drugs, guns in campus. The day I moved my child out of terrell schools was the day my child EXCELLED! Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, April 25, 2013

Terrell High School is a better school than the ratings show. My kids are succesfull and enjoy the school. There are a number of great programs for students from the Career and Technology to the State of Art Performing Arts Center. Advanced Programs in academics are top of the line. Close Quote

Schools Near Terrell High School

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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)	STAAR Reading (2026)				STAAR Mathematics (2026)				STAAR Social Studies (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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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	STAAR Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Reading 6th Grade	STAAR Reading 7th Grade	STAAR Reading 8th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 5th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 6th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 7th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 8th Grade	STAAR Social Studies 8th Grade	Total
Terrell High School	Public	9-12	400 Poetry Rd	Terrell	75160	Kaufman County	Terrell Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 563-7525	1,458	88	16.5	75.5%	265 (18.2%)	279 (19.1%)	844 (57.9%)	11 (0.8%)	4 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	54 (3.7%)	29	1530^th of 2057 public high schools	25.6%		22.7	1561^st of 1974 public high schools	20.9%	31	22.5	59.6	43.4	48.6	52.3										$9,301
Terrell Alternative Education Center/Phoenix School	Public	9-12	103 9th St	Terrell	75160	Kaufman County	Terrell Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(972) 563-6319	32	2	16.4	62.5%	5 (15.6%)	12 (37.5%)	14 (43.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.1%)	1	2054^th of 2057 public high schools	0.1%					(n/a)	0.0		0.0	5.0	9.1										$23,332
Tisd Child & Adolescent School	Public	7-12	1200 E Brin St	Terrell	75160	Kaufman County	Terrell Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(972) 551-8960	21	4	5.7	33.3%	13 (61.9%)	7 (33.3%)	1 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3.1	1971^st of 2057 public high schools	4.2%		8.4	1808^th of 1974 public high schools	8.4%	163	0.0	18.2	14.3	16.7											$25,049
North Forney High School	Public	9-12	6170 Falcon Way	Forney	75126	Kaufman County	Forney Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(469) 762-4210	2,648	158	16.7	51.9%	336 (12.7%)	1,382 (52.2%)	731 (27.6%)	70 (2.6%)	9 (0.3%)	9 (0.3%)	111 (4.2%)	31.3	1482^nd of 2057 public high schools	28.0%		34	1294^th of 1974 public high schools	34.4%	188	29.4	53.1	45.1	50.6	59.6										$9,438
Forney Learning Academy	Public	7-12	10400 Helms Trail	Forney	75126	Kaufman County	Forney Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(469) 762-4150	104	21	4.9	51.9%	16 (15.4%)	54 (51.9%)	29 (27.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	4 (3.8%)	6	1898^th of 2057 public high schools	7.7%		3.1	1914^th of 1974 public high schools	3.0%	16	9.1	55.6	0.0	20.0	28.6										$21,863
Forney High School	Public	9-12	1800 Fm 741 S	Forney	75126	Kaufman County	Forney Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(469) 762-4200	2,582	157	16.4	29.5%	913 (35.4%)	721 (27.9%)	782 (30.3%)	53 (2.1%)	8 (0.3%)	7 (0.3%)	98 (3.8%)	48.6	1000^th of 2057 public high schools	51.4%		50.7	890^th of 1974 public high schools	54.9%	110	34.4	70.0	56.8	58.7	68.4										$9,000
Forney Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual	5-12	309 S Bois D'Arc St	Forney	75126	Kaufman County	Forney Independent School District (Isd)	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(469) 762-4100	197	10	18.8	22.8%	115 (58.4%)	36 (18.3%)	37 (18.8%)	4 (2.0%)	2 (1.0%)	1 (0.5%)	2 (1.0%)	20.6	1672^nd of 2057 public high schools	18.7%		47.1	989^th of 1974 public high schools	49.9%	683	26.7	41.7	47.3	40.0	46.2	53.9	35.3	56.7	62.5	30.8	33.3	35.0	15.2	27.3	$4,497
Basepoint Academy - Forney	Public, Charter	6-12	713 W Broad Street Ste 200	Forney	75126	Kaufman County	University Of Texas University Charter School	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(254) 715-0208	16	1	16.0	—	8 (50.0%)	2 (12.5%)	6 (37.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39.1	1285^th of 2057 public high schools	37.5%					(n/a)	0.0	14.3	62.5	58.8	62.5				0.0						$00
Wh Ford High School	Public	9-12	10064 S Business 34	Quinlan	75474	Hunt County	Quinlan Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(903) 356-1600	799	55	14.5	63.6%	407 (50.9%)	7 (0.9%)	364 (45.6%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.5%)	15 (1.9%)	44	1146^th of 2057 public high schools	44.3%		34.9	1269^th of 1974 public high schools	35.7%	123	44.3	67.5	49.8	54.2	66.8										$11,960
Rockwall-Heath High School	Public	9-12	801 Laurence Dr	Heath	75032	Rockwall County	Rockwall Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(972) 772-2474	3,072	187	16.4	28.8%	1,465 (47.7%)	419 (13.6%)	903 (29.4%)	109 (3.5%)	36 (1.2%)	2 (0.1%)	138 (4.5%)	73.6	363^rd of 2057 public high schools	82.4%		74.9	309^th of 1974 public high schools	84.3%	54	43.8	85.2	72.8	77.2	85.8										$7,248

Frequently Asked Questions about Terrell High School

Is Terrell High School a good school?

Terrell High School ranks 1530^th of 2057 Texas high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What schools feed into Terrell High School?

Terrell High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Dr Bruce Wood Elementary
Elementary : Gilbert Willie Senior Elementary
Elementary : J W Long Elementary
Middle : Herman Furlough Junior Middle

What district is Terrell High School in?

Terrell Independent School District (Isd)

How many students attend Terrell High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,458 students attended Terrell High School.

What is the racial makeup of Terrell High School?

Students at Terrell High School are 58% Hispanic, 19% African American, 18% White, 4% Two or more races.

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Latest Texas data All new data »

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesSep 30, 2026

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

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.