Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 77023

Middle schools in zip code 77023 serve approximately 1,150 students across three schools—KIPP Intrepid Preparatory, Navarro Middle, and Project Chrysalis Middle—in a high-poverty area of Houston, Texas, where free/reduced lunch rates range from 84.65% to 97.75%.

Project Chrysalis Middle is the standout school in this area, ranking in the 97th percentile statewide with a 5-star rating for 2025-2026, a stark contrast to KIPP Intrepid Preparatory (43rd percentile) and Navarro Middle (47th percentile). Despite serving a student body where 84.65% qualify for free/reduced lunch, Project Chrysalis achieves elite results with the lowest spending per student ($8,175) and the smallest student-teacher ratio (10.4) among the three. It consistently outperforms both the Houston Independent School District (Isd) and state averages in nearly every subject, such as 89.04% proficiency in 8th grade reading versus 58.69% statewide. Meanwhile, Navarro Middle shows a remarkable turnaround, climbing from the 10th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 47th percentile by 2025-2026, while KIPP Intrepid Preparatory in the KIPP Texas Public Schools district has a more volatile performance trend.

Key metrics reveal significant disparities: KIPP Intrepid Preparatory has a student-teacher ratio of 22.6, more than double Project Chrysalis's 10.4, which likely contributes to performance gaps. All three schools show strength in Algebra I, with Navarro Middle (87.5%) and Project Chrysalis (80.82%) far exceeding the state average of 54.03%. However, Navarro Middle and KIPP Intrepid Preparatory struggle in science and social studies, with only 18.71% of Navarro 8th graders proficient in science versus 46.25% statewide. Both KIPP Intrepid Preparatory and Project Chrysalis maintain a 0.0% dropout rate, while Navarro Middle has a 3.4% rate, highlighting areas for continued improvement.