Summary:
The 75143 zip code, encompassing the communities of Kemp and Tool, Texas, contains seven schools serving grades PK-12, split between the Kemp Independent School District (Isd) and the Malakoff Independent School District (Isd).
The standout school in this area is Tool Elementary, which is part of the Malakoff ISD and earns a 4-star rating, ranking in the 85th percentile statewide. This school achieves proficiency rates well above state averages in reading and math, despite serving a student population where over 76% are economically disadvantaged. In stark contrast, the six schools in the Kemp ISD consistently rank in the bottom 15th percentile. For example, Kemp High School has a graduation rate of 86.0% and a dropout rate of 3.0%, both worse than state averages, while its Algebra I proficiency is just 29.01% compared to the state's 54.03%. A notable exception within Kemp ISD is Kemp J H, where 84.62% of 8th graders taking Algebra I were proficient, dramatically higher than the district and state averages.
The most critical takeaway for parents is that a child's address within the same zip code can lead to vastly different educational outcomes, highlighting the importance of district boundaries over geographic proximity. While Kemp ISD schools like Kemp Pri, Kemp Intermediate, and Kemp Intermediate West struggle with low test scores and a declining performance trajectory, Tool Elementary proves that high poverty does not preclude high performance. The Kemp Alternative school serves a very small, at-risk population with a 77.8% graduation rate, fulfilling a specific need rather than competing on academic rankings.
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