Best Public Schools in Zip Code 77327

The 20 schools in zip code 77327 (Cleveland, TX) serve students from early childhood through high school across three districts, with the area facing significant socioeconomic challenges as the vast majority of schools report Free/Reduced Lunch rates above 90%.

The standout district in this area is Tarkington Independent School District (ISD), which dramatically outperforms Cleveland Independent School District (ISD) despite both serving the same zip code. Tarkington High School boasts a 98.3% graduation rate and state-competitive scores in English II and U.S. History, while Cleveland High School struggles to get even 30% of its 3,627 students proficient in core subjects. Within Cleveland ISD, Eastside Elementary is a bright spot, with 3rd-grade Reading proficiency (57.29%) exceeding the state average. A fascinating paradox exists at Cleveland Middle and Santa Fe Middle, where general math scores are critically low (5-7% proficient) yet Algebra I End-of-Course scores are exceptionally high (over 70% proficient), indicating effective acceleration of top math students while the majority struggle with grade-level material.

The International Leadership of Texas (ILTexas) schools in this zip code, including Iltexas Msg Ramirez Elementary and Iltexas Bg Ramirez Elementary, perform far worse than the ILTexas district average, suggesting unique local challenges. The alternative schools highlight extreme resource disparities: Disciplinary Alternative Education Program spends $76,057 per student while Frederick A Douglass Learning Academy spends $20,803 per student yet achieves 0% proficiency in Algebra I. Overall, the strongest predictor of academic success in this zip code is the level of economic disadvantage, with Tarkington ISD's lower poverty rates (around 50-70% FRL) correlating with dramatically better outcomes than Cleveland ISD's near-universal poverty rates.