Winona High School

Winona High School is a small, rural high school in Winona, TX, serving approximately 319 students in grades 9-12 within the Winona Independent School District (Isd).

This school stands out for its exceptional performance with specific groups of students. Its Gifted and Talented program ranks in the 99th percentile statewide, and it also provides strong support for English Language Learners, who consistently score in the top quartile. The school invests heavily in its students, spending over $16,900 per student and maintaining a very low student-to-teacher ratio of 9:1. However, this investment does not translate to strong results for all students. The school struggles significantly with its largest demographic—students from low socio-economic backgrounds—who rank in the 13th percentile. A major academic weakness is Algebra I, where proficiency rates (30%) are far below the state average (54%). This is a stark contrast to nearby Lindale High School, which serves a less economically disadvantaged population and outperforms Winona in every subject, including a 75% proficiency rate in Algebra I. Even Hawkins H S / Middle, a demographically similar school, significantly outperforms Winona in core subjects like Algebra I (65%) and U.S. History (82% vs. 54%).

Despite these academic challenges, Winona boasts a high graduation rate of 97.2%, on par with higher-performing schools. This suggests the school is effective at keeping students on track to graduate, though the path may not be as rigorous as state standards. The school’s overall performance is typical for a high-poverty school in the area, similar to Chapel Hill High School, but it fails to capitalize on its high spending and small class sizes to achieve the transformative results seen at nearby Hawkins or Lindale. For parents, this means a school that excels with its top-tier and English-learning students but has significant room for improvement in foundational math and support for its economically disadvantaged population.