Summary:
In zip code 78017, there is one middle school, Mary Harper Middle, serving grades 6 through 8 in Dilley, Texas, where nearly 80% of students are economically disadvantaged.
Mary Harper Middle is part of the Dilley Independent School District (Isd) and stands out for its exceptional performance in 8th-grade math, where 71.88% of students were proficient in the 2025-2026 school year—far exceeding the state average of 47.24%. This is not a one-time success; the school also outperformed the state in this subject the previous year. However, the school struggles significantly in other areas, particularly 8th-grade social studies (16.39% proficiency vs. 31.69% statewide) and reading across all grades, with the largest gap in 7th grade (32.14% vs. 54.04%). The school has a very low student-to-teacher ratio of 9.8:1 and above-average spending of $13,985 per student, yet overall performance remains below state averages in most subjects, suggesting resources may not be evenly distributed across all grades and subjects.
Despite these challenges, Mary Harper Middle is on a clear upward trajectory, improving its state ranking from the 13th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 38th percentile in 2025-2026. The school maintains a 0% dropout rate, which is excellent. For parents, the key takeaway is that this school shows strong potential in math for 8th graders but needs focused improvement in reading and social studies. The rapid overall improvement suggests recent initiatives are working, making it a school to watch for continued growth.
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