Summary:
Zip code 77873 is served by a single school, Richards High School, which is part of the Richards Independent School District (Isd) and functions as a unique, comprehensive alternative school serving all grades from PK through 12 with a total enrollment of 249 students.
Richards High School stands out for its perfect 100% graduation rate and 0% dropout rate for the 2023-2024 school year, paired with a low student-teacher ratio of 11.4:1 that allows for personalized attention. However, the school shows a stark contrast between this graduation success and its academic performance, with test scores that are highly volatile from year to year due to the small student population. For the 2025-2026 school year, the school performed above the state average in 3rd Grade Reading (61.11% vs. 51.08%) and English I Reading (61.11% vs. 55.43%), but struggled significantly in middle school subjects, including 6th Grade Reading (25% vs. 53.52%), 8th Grade Reading (17.65% vs. 58.69%), and 5th Grade Mathematics (21.05% vs. 47.38%). A critical red flag is the 0% proficiency rate in 8th Grade Social Studies, indicating no students met the state standard that year.
The school demonstrates a pattern of stronger performance in Reading compared to Mathematics, and its high school End-of-Course exams show promise, with the 2024-2025 school year outperforming the state in Biology (73.08% vs. 62.04%) and English I (61.54% vs. 51.26%). With 38.15% of students economically disadvantaged and per-student spending at $11,768, the school appears effective at keeping students on track to graduate but faces challenges in achieving consistent grade-level proficiency, particularly in middle school math and reading. The small class sizes and alternative structure are clear strengths, but the extreme year-over-year score fluctuations make it difficult to assess long-term trends, and the 0% in 8th Grade Social Studies warrants immediate attention.
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