Summary:
Zip code 75935 in Center, Texas, is home to two high schools—Center High School and Roughrider Academy—both part of the Center Independent School District (Isd), serving grades 9-12 with a combined enrollment of 705 students in a community where about three-quarters of students come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Center High School is the standout school in the area, primarily due to its dramatic upward trajectory. Over the past two years, it has jumped from the 31st to the 46th percentile in state rankings, driven largely by an extraordinary 39.5 percentage point improvement in Algebra I proficiency—from 22% to 62%—now exceeding the state average. It also outperforms the state in U.S. History (76% vs. 70%) and maintains a strong 97.1% graduation rate with a very low 0.3% dropout rate. In contrast, Roughrider Academy, a smaller alternative school with 43 students, shows a declining trend, dropping 21 percentile points in its ranking. While it boasts a perfect 0.0% dropout rate and spends more per student ($15,458 vs. $12,449), its academic proficiency in English II (33%) and U.S. History (60%) falls below state averages, suggesting it excels at keeping students enrolled but struggles to boost academic growth.
Key takeaways for parents include the clear contrast in performance trends: Center High School is on a strong upward path, particularly in math, while Roughrider Academy faces challenges despite its supportive environment. Both schools share a consistent strength in U.S. History, indicating a solid social studies curriculum district-wide. However, the Center Independent School District (Isd) as a whole remains in the bottom 21% of Texas districts, meaning that while Center High is improving, other schools in the district may still be underperforming. For families, Center High offers the best academic momentum, while Roughrider Academy provides a small, personalized setting with strong student retention.
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