Best Public Schools in Zip Code 77859

Zip code 77859, serving the Hearne, TX area, is home to two public schools—Hearne Elementary (PK-6) and Hearne JH/High School (7-12)—both part of the Hearne Independent School District (ISD), a district ranked in the bottom 3% of Texas school districts.

While neither school posts strong academic results, Hearne JH/High School stands out as the relative higher performer, earning a 1-star rating and showing a slight upward trend from the 7th to the 11th percentile in state rankings. It also boasts a 90.6% graduation rate, though test scores remain critically low—for example, 0% of 7th graders were proficient in math, and only 43.86% of students were proficient in Biology, which is a relative bright spot. In contrast, Hearne Elementary is more resource-efficient, spending $12,488 per student compared to the high school’s $19,583, while maintaining a higher student-to-teacher ratio of 11.8:1 versus 7.6:1. Despite this lower spending, the elementary school’s proficiency rates are also very low, with reading averaging around 31% and math around 25%.

A key takeaway is the severe math crisis, especially the 0% proficiency for 7th graders, which indicates a systemic issue that will impact future opportunities. The high school’s higher spending and smaller class sizes do not translate into better state-relative performance, suggesting challenges beyond funding, such as deep-seated socioeconomic factors—over 90% of students at both schools are economically disadvantaged. On a positive note, both schools show a very slight upward trend in rankings over the last three years, and the high school’s strong graduation rate suggests it successfully retains students, even if grade-level mastery remains a major hurdle.