Summary:
The six schools in zip code 76574, all part of the Taylor Independent School District (Isd), serve students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade in Taylor, Texas, a community facing significant economic challenges as reflected in high free and reduced lunch rates across the district.
The standout school is Legacy Early College High School, which ranks in the top 5% of Texas high schools with a 5-star rating, boasting exceptional test scores (over 90% proficiency in core subjects), a 100% graduation rate, and the lowest free/reduced lunch rate in the district at 48.57%. In stark contrast, Taylor High School struggles with a 1-star rating and proficiency rates 20-40 points lower than state averages, such as only 30.86% in Algebra I. Taylor Middle also earns a 1-star rating, with a critical math crisis evident in 7th grade where just 8.66% of students are proficient. Among elementary schools, Naomi Pasemann Elementary is the highest-ranked (44th percentile, 2-star) and showed improvement, though its 5th grade math and science scores are alarmingly low. Main Street Elementary and Th Johnson Elementary (serving PK-K only) round out the district with similar economic challenges.
A key finding is the spending paradox: Legacy Early College spends the least per student ($8,008) while achieving the best results, whereas Taylor High School spends the most ($12,303) with the worst performance, suggesting school model and instructional focus matter more than funding. The district faces a broken math pipeline, with low elementary scores cascading into catastrophic middle school results and poor high school Algebra I performance. Legacy Early College functions as an elite academy, but its small size (105 students) and lower poverty rate indicate it serves a select group, leaving the district's overall 2-star rating dragged down by its larger comprehensive schools.
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