Vernon High School

Vernon High School is a public high school in Vernon, TX, serving 490 students in grades 9-12 within the Vernon Independent School District (Isd), where about 70% of students are economically disadvantaged.

One of the most notable findings is a paradox: the school has a very high graduation rate (consistently above 92%) and a very low dropout rate, yet academic proficiency on state tests is significantly below state averages. For example, only 18.6% of students are proficient in Algebra I, compared to the state average of 54%. This suggests the school is effective at keeping students on track to graduate but struggles to ensure they achieve grade-level mastery. A bright spot is the Gifted and Talented program, which recently ranked in the 74th percentile statewide—a dramatic improvement. However, a major concern is the steep decline for English Language Learners, who dropped from the 64th percentile two years ago to the 8th percentile now, signaling an urgent need for support.

Compared to other schools in the district, Vernon High School is the main comprehensive campus, while North Texas State Hospital - Afp - Vernon and the Vernon Independent School District (Isd) Opportunity Center are specialized alternative schools serving very small, high-need populations. Vernon High School has a lower student-teacher ratio (13:1) than the state average, but the alternative schools have even smaller ratios (around 5:1) and higher per-student spending. Despite its challenges, Vernon High School often posts higher test scores than the district average, which includes these alternative campuses, making it the strongest academic performer within the district.