Summary:
The 8 public schools in zip code 76544, serving the Fort Cavazos area and part of the Killeen Independent School District (Isd), are dominated by 6 elementary schools, with one middle school and one high school, and serve a community where a majority of students (average 56.6%) come from economically disadvantaged households.
The standout school is Killeen Independent School District (Isd) Early College High School, a high-performing outlier ranked in the 92nd percentile statewide with exceptional test scores (e.g., 90.71% proficient in English II Reading) and a near-perfect 98.6% graduation rate, proving that high achievement is possible despite a moderate free/reduced lunch rate of 48.65%. Among elementary schools, Clarke Elementary is the top performer, achieving the highest 3rd-grade reading (71.21%) and math (61.19%) proficiency rates in the zip code despite having the highest economic disadvantage rate (68.61%) and a low student-teacher ratio of 13.8:1. In contrast, Audie Murphy Middle is the weakest link, ranking in the 38th percentile, though it boasts a remarkable 100% proficiency rate in Algebra I for 8th graders, highlighting a strong advanced math program for a select group while general math proficiency for grades 6-8 is very low (e.g., 27.08% in 6th grade).
Key metrics reveal that higher spending does not guarantee better results, as the two highest-spending elementary schools (Oveta Culp Hobby Elementary at $10,818 and Montague Village Elementary at $10,709) are not top performers, while Clarke Elementary spends a modest $9,613. A systemic weakness is the "science gap" in 5th-grade testing, with proficiency rates ranging from 7.27% to 25.25% across elementary schools, all below the state average. Additionally, several schools show declining performance trajectories, including Meadows Elementary (dropping from the 77th to 51st percentile) and Clear Creek Elementary (dropping from the 70th to 48th percentile), suggesting a need for targeted instructional review.
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