Summary:
Zip code 78159 is served by a single school, Nixon Smiley Elementary, a public PK-4 school with 438 students in the Nixon-Smiley Consolidated Independent School District, which is ranked in the 31st percentile statewide.
This elementary school faces significant academic challenges, most notably a sharp and consistent decline in its state ranking over the past three years, dropping from the 51st percentile (3 stars) to the 29th percentile (1 star). The most critical area of concern is 4th-grade mathematics, where only 26.09% of students were proficient in the most recent school year, compared to the state average of 49.28%. Reading proficiency is also below state averages, with 43.08% of 3rd graders and 43.48% of 4th graders meeting standards, versus state averages of 51.08% and 53.04%, respectively. The school serves a high-poverty population, with 80.37% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, and spends a relatively high $13,359 per student, yet these resources have not translated into improved academic outcomes.
Despite a favorable student-to-teacher ratio of 13.2:1, which could allow for more individualized attention, the school's performance is trending downward. The data suggests a systemic issue, particularly in upper elementary math instruction, that requires urgent intervention. For parents, this school offers small class sizes and above-average per-pupil spending, but the declining test scores and low proficiency rates, especially in 4th-grade math, are significant red flags that warrant careful consideration and further inquiry into the school's improvement plans.
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