Best Public Schools in Zip Code 78957

The Smithville Independent School District (ISD) in zip code 78957 serves approximately 1,847 students across four schools: Brown Pri, Smithville Elementary, Smithville J H, and Smithville High School. The district ranks in the 40th percentile statewide with a 2-star rating, and about 48% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, indicating moderate economic diversity.

Standout schools reveal contrasting strengths. Smithville J H excels in advanced math, with 90% of its 8th graders proficient in Algebra I—nearly 36 points above the state average. However, this success does not carry over to Smithville High School, where Algebra I proficiency drops to just 30.53%, suggesting a possible curriculum disconnect. Smithville High School is the only school to beat the state average in a core subject, achieving 71.22% proficiency in Biology. Smithville Elementary spends the most per student ($16,046) but still underperforms state averages, while Brown Pri has no test data as a PK-K school and the lowest spending ($6,091).

Mathematics is the district's biggest challenge, with 7th-grade math at Smithville J H hitting just 7.32% proficiency—22 points below the state. Social studies is also weak, with 8th-grade proficiency at 18.44%. Despite these struggles, the high school maintains a solid 91.2% graduation rate and a low 0.8% dropout rate. The spending paradox is notable: Smithville Elementary spends the most but doesn't outperform, while Smithville High School spends less yet leads in Biology. This suggests that targeted instruction, not just funding, is key to improvement.