Summary
Wortham Elementary is a small, rural PK-5 school in the Wortham Independent School District (Isd), serving 238 students with a moderate student-teacher ratio of 16.2:1. The school has a high percentage of students from low socio-economic backgrounds, with roughly 60% qualifying for free or reduced lunch, and its overall academic performance consistently falls below the state average, placing it in the bottom third of Texas elementary schools.
Despite these challenges, Wortham Elementary has a remarkable strength in its Special Education program, which ranked in the 71st percentile (4-star rating) in the 2025-2026 school year—a dramatic improvement from the 20th percentile just two years prior. This turnaround is a standout success story, especially compared to nearby schools like Teague Elementary, which consistently ranks in the 80th+ percentile overall but does not show a similar strength in this subgroup. However, the school struggles significantly with 5th-grade science, where proficiency rates have hovered around 9-15% over the last three years—roughly half the already-low state average. Additionally, 4th-grade math performance is volatile and consistently 15-20 percentage points below the state average, despite a bright spot in 3rd-grade math, where the school achieved a 60.61% proficiency rate in 2023-2024, outperforming the state average by 20 points.
Wortham Elementary's performance with "At Risk" students is highly erratic, ranging from the 52nd percentile to the 5th percentile in recent years, suggesting unstable support systems. The school also spends significantly less per student ($7,789) than neighbors like Fairfield Independent School District (Isd) ($11,964) and Teague Independent School District (Isd) ($10,392), which may contribute to its challenges. The success of Teague Elementary, which achieves proficiency rates 20-30 points above the state average in a similar demographic context, shows that improvement is possible. Wortham's biggest opportunity is to replicate its Special Education success and strong 3rd-grade math foundation across all grades and subjects.
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