Summary:
The 77640 zip code in Port Arthur, Texas, is served by five schools—three elementary/middle campuses in the Port Arthur Independent School District (Isd) and two charter campuses in the Tekoa Academy Of Accelerated Studies Stem School—that together educate about 1,172 students across elementary, middle, and high school grades in a community where an average of 83% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
The standout performer is Tekoa Academy Of Accelerated Studies (High School), which earned a 5-star rating and ranks in the 97th percentile statewide for 2025-2026, with 100% proficiency in Algebra I, Biology, and U.S. History. Its middle school counterpart, Tekoa Academy Of Accelerated Studies (Middle School), also jumped dramatically from the 5th to the 88th percentile in one year, though such volatility is common in very small schools (46 students). In contrast, the Port Arthur ISD campuses—Lincoln Middle, Dequeen Elementary, and Washington Elementary—consistently rank in the bottom 10-15% of Texas schools with 0 or 1-star ratings, despite spending $10,325 to $16,589 per student and maintaining low student-teacher ratios near 10:1.
A key takeaway is that high spending does not guarantee high performance: Port Arthur ISD invests heavily yet sees low proficiency, especially in 8th-grade math (20.67% at Lincoln Middle) and reading (32.52%). Meanwhile, Tekoa Academy achieves strong results with a much higher student-teacher ratio (18:1). An interesting anomaly is that Lincoln Middle posts an 88.46% pass rate in Algebra I, but this reflects only a select group of advanced 8th graders, not the general student body. For parents, the data suggests that Tekoa Academy offers the strongest academic outcomes in the area, while Port Arthur ISD schools face deep-rooted challenges that go beyond funding or class size.
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