Summary:
In zip code 75160, there is one middle school, Herman Furlough Junior Middle, serving grades 6 through 8 with 1,166 students in the Terrell area, which is part of the Terrell Independent School District (Isd).
Herman Furlough Junior Middle has a notable bright spot in advanced math: 61.34% of students taking the Algebra I End-of-Course exam are proficient, outperforming the state average of 54.03%. However, this success contrasts sharply with severe struggles in standard math, particularly in 7th grade, where only 4.79% of students are proficient compared to the state average of 29.41%. The school also underperforms in all other core subjects, with reading proficiency ranging from 38.75% to 44.19% across grades, well below state averages. The school has consistently received a 1-star rating over the past three years and ranks in the 17th percentile among Texas middle schools. With 76.5% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, the school serves a high-poverty community, and its dropout rate is 1.3%.
The key takeaway is that Herman Furlough Junior Middle presents two distinct stories: a strong advanced math program that excels, and a systemic crisis in standard math and other subjects. The school's overall ranking has declined from the 21st percentile to the 17th percentile over three years, indicating it is not keeping pace with statewide improvements. For parents, this means the school effectively accelerates some high-performing math students, but the majority of students face significant academic challenges, especially in 7th-grade math, which requires urgent attention.
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