Summary:
Zip code 75801 in Palestine, TX, is served by two middle schools within the Palestine Independent School District (Isd): Story Intermediate (grades 4-6) and Palestine J H (grades 7-8). Both schools face significant challenges, with over 80% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, a key indicator of economic disadvantage.
Palestine J H stands out for its relative academic strengths and resource allocation. It has a lower student-teacher ratio (12.8:1) and higher per-student spending ($11,485) compared to Story Intermediate (16.2:1 and $9,890). The junior high shows a clear strength in mathematics, with 7th graders scoring 36.61% proficient (above the state average) and 8th graders scoring 48% proficient. However, 8th-grade social studies is a critical weakness, with only 18.67% of students proficient—a gap of over 13 points below the state average. In contrast, Story Intermediate, the larger school with 670 students, consistently underperforms state averages, particularly in 4th-grade math where only 25.22% of students were proficient in 2025-2026. A rare bright spot is 6th-grade math, which exceeded the state average at 38.89% proficient.
A key takeaway is the resource disparity between the two schools within the same district, suggesting a potential prioritization of upper grades. Additionally, a "pipeline effect" is evident: while reading proficiency improves from 6th grade at Story Intermediate (39.91%) to 7th grade at Palestine J H (46.25%), math proficiency drops from 38.89% to 36.61%, indicating a challenging transition to junior high math. The data also reveals a confusing drop in 4th-grade math proficiency at Story Intermediate from 39.51% to 25.22% in one year, which warrants further investigation.
Thank you for your feedback!