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Howard J H

Q: Is Howard J H a good school?

Howard J H ranks 1201 st of 2335 Texas middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

1201^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,335 Texas Middle Schools

Better than 49% of Texas middle schools

Summary

Howard J H in Waxahachie, TX, serves 918 students in grades 6-8 within the Waxahachie Independent School District (Isd), and is a school of stark contrasts that parents should understand before enrolling their child.

The school's most impressive strength is its advanced coursework program. Howard J H achieves near-perfect proficiency rates on high school-level End-of-Course exams, with 96.94% of students proficient in Algebra I and 90.91% proficient in Biology—far exceeding district and state averages. This is a remarkable differentiator compared to nearby schools like Coleman J H (90.36% Algebra I) and Finley J H (54.02% Algebra I). However, this success creates a "tale of two schools" because standard grade-level math performance is a persistent weakness—only 21.12% of 7th graders were proficient in math, well below the state average of 29.41%. Reading scores also lag behind state averages, and the school's overall state ranking has declined from the 69th percentile in 2019 to the 49th percentile in 2025-2026.

On a positive note, Howard J H has shown a dramatic turnaround for English Language Learners, jumping from the 16th percentile statewide in 2023-2024 to the 71st percentile in 2025-2026. The school also maintains an excellent 0.0% dropout rate, indicating strong student retention. However, the school struggles to support its economically disadvantaged students, who have seen their ratings drop from 3 stars to 1 star in recent years. Compared to high-performing neighbors like Walnut Grove Middle (87th percentile) and Earl & Marthalu Dieterich Middle (83rd percentile) in the Midlothian Independent School District (Isd), Howard J H's standard subject proficiency rates are 15-25 percentage points lower. The school's primary challenge is translating its advanced program success to the broader student population, especially in mathematics.

918

Students ?

16.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$7,794

Per pupil spending ?

50.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

265 Broadhead Rd
Waxahachie, TX 75165

(972) 923-4771

District: Waxahachie Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Howard J H usually attend:

High:

Waxahachie High School

Feeder schools for Howard J H:

Elementary:	Clift Elementary
	Felty Elementary
	Shackelford Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

38.7%

White:

30.6%

African American:

24.8%

See top rated Texas middle schools

Compare Howard J H to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 71st percentile in 2016 → 49th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (44% vs 50% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 22 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school44%

District avg45%

Texas avg50%

1,201^st of 2,335

Texas public middle schools ?

Bottom 49%▼ down 23 pts since 2016

From top 29% (2016) to bottom 49% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 3Middle Schools in the Waxahachie Independent School District (Isd)

538^th of 951Waxahachie 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	45.3	1201 of 2335	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	41.7	1338 of 2344	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.6	1222 of 2372	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.0	1090 of 2330	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.3	831 of 2254	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	58.2	792 of 2252	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.5	671 of 2193	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.5	690 of 2080	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	68.5	481 of 2027	76.3%	★★★★☆
2016	69.0	572 of 1987	71.2%	★★★★☆
2015	62.9	731 of 2043	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2014	69.4	543 of 1987	72.7%	★★★★☆
2013	59.2	791 of 1973	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2012	49.7	1038 of 1951	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2011	56.8	913 of 1895	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2010	59.5	762 of 1803	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2009	55.5	877 of 1763	50.3%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	39.3	762 of 1295	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	31.3	722 of 997	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.6	907 of 1280	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	36.0	799 of 1273	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	52.5	473 of 1251	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	62.5	313 of 1213	74.2%	★★★★☆
2019	45.1	587 of 1193	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	32.2	801 of 1167	31.4%	★★☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	38.7	1329 of 2182	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	40.8	1177 of 2118	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	52.7	761 of 2058	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.2	701 of 2008	65.1%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	58.3	398 of 1390	71.4%	★★★★☆
2025	47.4	654 of 1428	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	24.6	1481 of 1770	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.2	1205 of 1720	29.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.6	1345 of 1643	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	47.1	696 of 1592	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	33.1	1034 of 1445	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	68.9	212 of 1376	84.6%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	47.3	1094 of 2240	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	42.5	1029 of 1825	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.1	1003 of 2242	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.0	941 of 2241	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.7	731 of 2221	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	60.3	708 of 2151	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.1	659 of 2047	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.4	623 of 2008	69.0%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	50.6	928 of 1497	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	50.7	761 of 1230	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.1	960 of 1481	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	57.1	756 of 1488	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	65.5	589 of 1501	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.5	742 of 1446	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.2	873 of 1430	39.0%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	50.1	946 of 2141	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	48.8	818 of 1731	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	43.9	1131 of 2119	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.0	1113 of 2116	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	52.4	854 of 2077	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	50.9	866 of 2043	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.6	686 of 1935	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.4	596 of 1895	68.5%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	38.2	1435 of 2253	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	31.8	1339 of 1820	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.4	1914 of 2235	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.2	1599 of 2251	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	40.2	1323 of 2220	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.9	1175 of 2172	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	52.3	861 of 2073	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.0	1033 of 2039	49.3%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	43.1	1235 of 2253	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.0	1123 of 1818	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.9	1389 of 2246	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.3	1206 of 2245	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	50.8	987 of 2228	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	55.1	849 of 2168	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.3	657 of 2069	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.9	792 of 2030	61.0%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	40.3	487 of 806	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	30.8	509 of 676	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.9	573 of 818	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.5	432 of 817	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.8	481 of 813	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	49.4	341 of 743	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	50.7	346 of 753	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.5	298 of 720	58.6%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	41.2	1047 of 1956	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.5	1023 of 1568	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.2	1330 of 1891	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	43.4	882 of 1815	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.1	434 of 1757	75.3%	★★★★☆
2021	69.0	234 of 1712	86.3%	★★★★☆
2019	54.0	498 of 1626	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	51.8	513 of 1597	67.9%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	50.4	844 of 1731	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	39.0	950 of 1439	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.5	948 of 1733	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	57.8	678 of 1749	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.6	724 of 1723	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	48.8	844 of 1700	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.0	598 of 1684	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.0	702 of 1673	58.0%	★★★☆☆

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)71st percentile+23 vs school

Hispanic (2026)56th percentile+7 vs school

White (2026)51st percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)51st percentile+3 vs school

Special Education (2026)46th percentile~ school

Male (2026)45th percentile-3 vs school

African American (2026)41st percentile-7 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)40th percentile-9 vs school

At Risk (2022)39th percentile-24 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)38th percentile-11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)36th percentile-12 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Algebra I97%+43 vs state

Biology91%+20 vs state

Reading49%-7 vs state

Mathematics40%~ state avg

Social Studies25%-7 vs state

★

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Schools Near Howard J H

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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 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/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 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
Howard J H	Public	6-8	265 Broadhead Rd	Waxahachie	75165	Ellis County	Waxahachie Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 923-4771	918	55	16.6	50.2%	281 (30.6%)	228 (24.8%)	355 (38.7%)	5 (0.5%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	45 (4.9%)	45.3	1201^st of 2335 public middle schools	48.6%		41.7	1338^th of 2344 public middle schools	42.9%	137	96.9	90.9		47.7	45.1	54.5		37.5	21.1	55.0	24.9	$7,794
Finley J H	Public	6-8	2401 E Brown St	Waxahachie	75165	Ellis County	Waxahachie Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 923-4680	839	58	14.4	49.9%	298 (35.5%)	145 (17.3%)	353 (42.1%)	9 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (4.1%)	33.8	1602^nd of 2335 public middle schools	31.4%		46.1	1190^th of 2344 public middle schools	49.2%	412	54.0	100.0		48.3	46.9	49.0		22.7	18.6	42.5	12.9	$7,992
Ellis County Jjaep	Public	6	2272 Fm 878	Waxahachie	75165	Ellis County	Palmer Independent School District (Isd)	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(972) 449-3389	1	0			1 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Coleman J H	Public	6-8	1000 Hwy 77 N	Waxahachie	75165	Ellis County	Waxahachie Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 923-4790	775	56	13.7	47.4%	289 (37.3%)	134 (17.3%)	305 (39.4%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (5.5%)	54.8	897^th of 2335 public middle schools	61.6%		57.3	868^th of 2344 public middle schools	63.0%	29	90.4	100.0		49.6	52.7	58.3		41.5	25.2	60.5	28.5	$8,895
Life Middle Waxahachie	Public, Charter	7-8	3295 N Us Hwy 77	Waxahachie	75165	Ellis County	Life School	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 937-0715	551	36	15.3	60.4%	63 (11.4%)	239 (43.4%)	225 (40.8%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.8%)	52.4	971^st of 2335 public middle schools	58.4%		54.4	935^th of 2344 public middle schools	60.1%	36	93.4				57.5	72.6			25.1	38.8	21.0	$8,907
Red Oak Middle	Public	6-8	152 Louise Ritter Blvd	Red Oak	75154	Ellis County	Red Oak Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(972) 617-0066	1,488	87	17.1	62.7%	242 (16.3%)	586 (39.4%)	581 (39.0%)	16 (1.1%)	4 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	57 (3.8%)	34.7	1575^th of 2335 public middle schools	32.5%		36.3	1517^th of 2344 public middle schools	35.3%	58	77.4			42.9	44.2	48.6		33.5	3.7	31.6	33.5	$8,422
Palmer Middle	Public	5-8	118 F M 813	Palmer	75152	Ellis County	Palmer Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 449-3319	423	28	15.0	53.9%	206 (48.7%)	7 (1.7%)	196 (46.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.3%)	68.8	533^rd of 2335 public middle schools	77.2%		60.5	787^th of 2344 public middle schools	66.4%	254	100.0		60.0	66.7	64.3	74.3	51.1	38.6	20.7	76.3	26.6	$8,345
Earl & Marthalu Dieterich Middle	Public	6-8	2881 Ledgestone Ln	Midlothian	76065	Ellis County	Midlothian Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(469) 856-5800	989	53	18.8	19.6%	581 (58.7%)	132 (13.3%)	214 (21.6%)	12 (1.2%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	47 (4.8%)	75.5	399^th of 2335 public middle schools	82.9%		75.3	423^rd of 2344 public middle schools	82.0%	24	96.1			63.6	60.7	68.6		55.7	32.0	67.1	44.1	$6,595
Walnut Grove Middle	Public	6-8	990 N Walnut Grove Rd	Midlothian	76065	Ellis County	Midlothian Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(469) 856-5700	1,012	51	19.6	16.3%	622 (61.5%)	118 (11.7%)	206 (20.4%)	5 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	5 (0.5%)	55 (5.4%)	80.5	314^th of 2335 public middle schools	86.6%		79.4	339^th of 2344 public middle schools	85.5%	25	92.1			72.7	69.1	77.3		61.5	28.4	64.5	40.5	$6,651
Frank Seale Middle	Public	6-8	700 George Hopper Rd	Midlothian	76065	Ellis County	Midlothian Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(469) 856-5600	726	42	17.1	53.3%	258 (35.5%)	166 (22.9%)	252 (34.7%)	6 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (5.8%)	44.1	1240^th of 2335 public middle schools	46.9%		52	1014^th of 2344 public middle schools	56.7%	226	94.7			49.8	47.7	42.9		47.8	20.4	43.1	27.6	$8,409

Frequently Asked Questions about Howard J H

How many students attend Howard J H?

In the 2024-25 school year, 918 students attended Howard J H.

What is the racial makeup of Howard J H?

Students at Howard J H are 39% Hispanic, 31% White, 25% African American, 5% Two or more races.

What district is Howard J H in?

Waxahachie Independent School District (Isd)

Is Howard J H a good school?

Howard J H ranks 1201^st of 2335 Texas middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of Howard J H attend?

Students who attend Howard J H usually go on to attend Waxahachie High School

Rate Howard J H!

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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.