Barwise Middle

Barwise Middle in Wichita Falls, TX, is a large public school serving 1,164 students in grades 6-8 within the Wichita Falls Independent School District (Isd), and it has recently made a remarkable turnaround, jumping from a 2-star to a 3-star rating and the 58th percentile statewide—a 24-point improvement in just one year.

The school’s standout feature is its exceptional Algebra I program, where an impressive 98.44% of students passed the End-of-Course exam, outperforming even high-performing nearby schools like Holliday Middle (95.45%) and Burkburnett Middle (98.41%). This success has been consistent for at least four years, with proficiency rates never dropping below 93.9%. Additionally, Barwise excels in supporting English Language Learners, ranking in the 76th percentile for this group—a huge leap from the 36th percentile the year before. The school also boasts a very low dropout rate of 0.1%, far better than its district peers Hirschi Middle (1.5%) and McNiel Middle (1.0%).

While Barwise’s overall test scores in core subjects like reading and science still trail state averages, the broad-based improvement seen in the 2025-2026 school year—such as 6th-grade reading jumping from 42.89% to 56.22%—suggests a new school-wide initiative is driving positive change. Compared to its district rivals, Barwise now outperforms Hirschi in nearly every category and has surpassed the more affluent McNiel in overall state ranking (58th vs. 39th percentile). The key challenge ahead will be to sustain this momentum and close achievement gaps for all student groups, ensuring the recent success extends beyond advanced math to every classroom.