Hirschi Middle

Hirschi Middle in Wichita Falls, TX, serves 464 students in grades 6-8 within the Wichita Falls Independent School District (Isd), and it stands out for its extreme socioeconomic challenges, with over 92% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch—a rate far higher than nearby schools like McNiel Middle (51.71%) or Burkburnett Middle (48.99%).

Despite historically ranking in the bottom 10-15% of Texas middle schools, the most recent data (2025-2026) shows a slight upward trend, moving from the 6th to the 14th percentile, suggesting recent efforts may be starting to yield results. A standout bright spot is the remarkable turnaround for English Language Learners (ELL), who jumped from the 10th percentile statewide in 2023-2024 to the 67th percentile in 2025-2026, earning a 3-star rating—a leap not seen in any other local school. Additionally, Hirschi’s Algebra I End-of-Course exam results are a major outlier: 59.26% of students were proficient, significantly outperforming the district (34.81%) and state (47.01%), though this contrasts with lower scores in general 8th-grade math (30.36% proficient). This suggests a strong, selective program for advanced math students, while the broader curriculum still faces challenges.

However, the dropout rate is a growing concern, rising from 0.7% in 2020-2021 to 1.5% in 2023-2024, above the district average of 1.0%. Interestingly, Hirschi spends $10,942 per student—more than higher-performing peers like Barwise Middle ($8,999) or suburban Holliday Middle ($8,344)—indicating that the challenge is not a lack of funding but the immense cost of overcoming barriers tied to extreme poverty. While the school’s overall rank improved from the 6th to the 14th percentile, and nearly every student subgroup showed gains (e.g., Hispanic students jumped from the 2nd to the 24th percentile), the gap with top-tier districts like Holliday ISD (91st percentile) remains stark, highlighting the profound impact of socioeconomic factors on academic outcomes.