Summary
Wharton High School in Wharton, TX, serves 566 students in grades 9-12 and is part of the Wharton Independent School District (Isd), which ranks in the bottom 5% of Texas school districts. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom 15-16% of Texas high schools over the past five years, earning a 1-star rating from Schooldigger. Over 73% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, indicating significant economic challenges. While the school maintains a graduation rate around 90%, its academic performance on state assessments (STAAR EOC) is significantly below both the state average and nearly all nearby schools.
Wharton High School stands in stark contrast to its neighbors, which are generally higher-performing and serve more affluent populations. For example, in Algebra I, only 16.67% of Wharton students were proficient, compared to 61.54% at Needville High School and 41.78% at El Campo High School. In English I Reading, Wharton's 30.82% proficiency is less than half of Needville's 74.06% and East Bernard High School's 85.54%. Wharton's graduation rate of 87-91% is notably lower than its neighbors, all of which boast rates of 97.6% or higher, and its dropout rate of 2.1% is significantly higher than the 0.0-0.3% rates seen at nearby schools.
Despite these challenges, there are some bright spots. The school shows notable relative strength in serving its English Language Learner (ELL) students, who jumped from the 9th percentile to the 37th percentile in one year, suggesting targeted interventions may be working. Biology proficiency (49.09%) was the school's highest subject, much closer to the performance of nearby Boling High School (68.97%). However, Algebra I remains a critical weakness, with proficiency stuck between 16-19% for four years. Interestingly, the school spends $11,405 per student, comparable to Needville ($11,195) and higher than El Campo ($10,731), indicating that low performance is not simply a funding issue. The school also struggles to challenge its Gifted and Talented students, who ranked in the 6th percentile statewide.
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