Summary:
Zip code 77630 in Orange, Texas, is home to three public schools serving students from Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade, split between the low-performing West Orange-Cove Consolidated Independent School District and the high-performing Tekoa Academy Of Accelerated Studies Stem School charter district.
The standout school in this area is Tekoa Academy Of Accelerated Studies - Orange, which dramatically outperforms its peers despite serving 100% economically disadvantaged students and spending just $3,802 per student. This small school of 85 students achieved a 4-star rating and 62nd percentile state ranking in 2025-2026, with test scores exceeding state averages in subjects like 3rd Grade Math (60% proficient vs. 44.33% state) and 5th Grade Math (81.82% vs. 47.38% state). This represents a remarkable turnaround from the previous year when it ranked in the 1st percentile. In contrast, West Orange-Stark Elementary and West Orange-Stark Middle both rank in the bottom 12th percentile with 0-star ratings, despite spending 2.5 to 3 times more per student ($9,701 and $11,917 respectively).
Key findings show that spending does not equal success, as Tekoa Academy achieves high performance with far fewer resources. A bright spot at West Orange-Stark Middle is that 100% of students taking Algebra I were proficient, though this likely reflects a small, advanced group. Science and Social Studies are critical weaknesses across the WOCCISD schools, with only 10.49% of 5th graders proficient in Science and 10.56% of 8th graders proficient in Social Studies. The data powerfully demonstrates that high poverty rates (88.5% to 100%) do not predetermine low academic outcomes, as Tekoa Academy's success shows the potential for overcoming socioeconomic challenges with the right educational model.
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