Summary:
Zip code 75423 in Celeste, Texas, is home to two middle schools—Bland Middle and Celeste J H—both serving grades 6 through 8 within small, independent districts, and together offering families a choice between a larger, efficient school and a smaller, rapidly improving one.
Both schools earn a 4-star rating, but they excel in different ways. Celeste J H (98 students) holds a higher state percentile rank (82nd) and shows a strong upward trend, climbing from the 61st percentile in just three years. It also spends more per student ($13,814) and has a very low student-teacher ratio of 9.4:1, which supports balanced strength across subjects like math and reading. In contrast, Bland Middle (165 students) is a standout for efficiency, spending $2,281 less per student ($11,533) while still achieving a 76th percentile rank. Bland Middle is a reading powerhouse, especially in 8th grade, where 70.18% of students are proficient—well above the state average. However, its math scores are a relative weakness, particularly in 7th grade.
A key takeaway is the shared excellence in social studies: both schools significantly outperform the state average in 8th grade social studies. Additionally, both schools have a 0% dropout rate and serve economically diverse populations, with free/reduced lunch rates of 68.48% at Bland Middle and 59.18% at Celeste J H. For parents, Celeste Independent School District (Isd) offers a smaller, consistently improving environment with strong all-around academics, while Bland Independent School District (Isd) provides a larger school that delivers exceptional reading results and high efficiency, making both excellent options in this area.
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