Summary:
In Dallas, Texas zip code 75233, there are two middle schools—Zan Wesley Holmes Junior Middle and T W Browne Middle—both serving grades 6-8 within the Dallas Independent School District (Isd), an area where over 97% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
While both schools rank in the bottom quartile of Texas middle schools, T W Browne Middle generally shows stronger recent academic performance, particularly in advanced coursework. For the 2025-2026 school year, T W Browne achieved a 94.74% proficiency rate on the Algebra I End-of-Course exam, compared to 81.13% at Zan Wesley Holmes, and also outperformed in 8th Grade Social Studies (28.73% vs. 13.16%) and 6th Grade Reading (39.85% vs. 38.46%). However, Zan Wesley Holmes Junior Middle excels in 6th Grade Math, with 27.27% proficiency versus 13.43% at T W Browne, and has shown a positive ranking trend, improving from the 18th to the 26th percentile over three years. In contrast, T W Browne’s ranking has declined from the 25th to the 20th percentile in the same period.
Both schools face significant challenges due to high poverty levels, with identical dropout rates of 3.5% and student-teacher ratios near 16:1. Notably, T W Browne spends $1,683 more per student ($13,478 vs. $11,795), which may contribute to its stronger performance in several subjects. A key takeaway is the "Algebra I anomaly"—despite low proficiency in standard grade-level math (e.g., 6th Grade Math at 13-27%), both schools show high Algebra I scores, likely because only advanced students take that exam. Social Studies remains a critical weakness for both, with proficiency rates as low as 13.16% at Zan Wesley Holmes. For parents, T W Browne Middle offers stronger overall academics and higher spending, while Zan Wesley Holmes Junior Middle shows promising improvement trends and stronger foundational math instruction.
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