Summary:
The three elementary schools in zip code 75785 (Rusk, TX) are part of the Rusk Independent School District (Isd), serving students from Pre-K through 5th grade in a community where over 60% of students are economically disadvantaged.
Rusk Elementary (grades 2-3) is the clear academic standout, with 71.65% of 3rd graders proficient in Reading and 60.32% in Math—dramatically exceeding state averages. This school also has the highest spending per student ($12,234) and the lowest student-teacher ratio (12.3:1). In contrast, Rusk Intermediate (grades 4-5) shows a troubling three-year decline in its state ranking, dropping from the 64th to the 51st percentile. Its 4th and 5th grade Reading and Math scores are now below state averages, and only 28.57% of 5th graders are proficient in Science—also below the state average. Gw Bradford Pri (PK-1) serves the most students (379) with the highest economic disadvantage rate (69.66%) but has the lowest spending per student ($10,492) and the highest student-teacher ratio (15.5:1).
The most striking finding is the academic drop-off between 3rd and 4th grade: Rusk Elementary’s 3rd graders outperform the state by 21.6 percentage points in Reading, but just one year later, Rusk Intermediate’s 4th graders fall 3.7 points below the state average. This suggests a potential breakdown in curriculum alignment or support during the transition to upper elementary. Additionally, spending does not correlate with performance—Rusk Intermediate spends nearly as much as Rusk Elementary ($12,068 vs. $12,234) yet shows declining results, while Gw Bradford Pri spends the least despite serving the highest-need students. The district’s overall 3-star rating masks these internal disparities, and science instruction appears to be a district-wide weakness.
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