Summary:
The five schools in zip code 76209 (Denton, TX) are all part of the Denton Independent School District (Isd), serving elementary through middle school grades with no traditional high school in the area, and they reveal a stark divide in academic performance and resources.
Nette Shultz stands out as the top performer, consistently earning a 4-star rating and exceeding state averages in reading and math, with a lower free/reduced lunch rate of 46.79%. In contrast, Ginnings Elementary and Alice Moore Alexander struggle significantly, with 0 or 1-star ratings and proficiency rates in subjects like 5th Grade Science as low as 2.94% and 5.81%, respectively, while serving higher-needs populations. Strickland Middle presents a paradox: its overall ranking is low at the 26th percentile, yet its Algebra I End-of-Course exam proficiency (84.09%) dramatically outperforms the district (46.4%) and state (54.03%), suggesting a strong advanced math track. Lester Davis, an alternative school with only 94 students, spends $137,277 per student—over ten times the average of other local schools—and maintains a 0% dropout rate with a 6.5:1 student-teacher ratio, reflecting intensive support for its high-needs population.
Key takeaways include the educational equity challenge between nearby elementary schools, the "Algebra I paradox" at Strickland Middle where advanced students excel while general math scores lag, and the high cost of intervention at Lester Davis. The absence of a high school in the zip code means students will feed into other Denton ISD high schools, making the performance gap at the elementary level a long-term concern for the district.
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