Best Public Schools in Zip Code 79329

The three public schools in zip code 79329 serve the Idalou Independent School District (Isd) in Idalou, Texas, a small, highly-rated district of 995 students that ranks in the 92nd percentile statewide. Idalou High School is the district's star performer, earning a 5-star rating with a 98.4% graduation rate, a 0.0% dropout rate, and exceptional End-of-Course exam scores like 93.42% proficient in U.S. History. It benefits from the lowest student-teacher ratio (9.3:1) and highest per-student spending ($13,741). Idalou Elementary provides a strong foundation with a 4-star rating and an upward trend in state ranking, with 4th graders significantly outpacing state averages in Reading (73.08% proficient) and Math (70.51% proficient).

Key metrics reveal a district of contrasts. The elementary school has the highest rate of economic disadvantage at 35.68% free/reduced lunch, while the high school has the lowest at 22.22%. Student-teacher ratios are small across the board, from 14.3:1 at the elementary to 11.8:1 at the middle school. Per-student spending varies significantly, with the high school receiving $13,741 per student compared to $9,324 at the elementary and $8,922 at the middle school. Idalou Middle holds a 4-star rating but has seen its ranking drop to the 78th percentile, revealing specific academic challenges.

The most interesting finding is the "8th Grade Math Anomaly" at Idalou Middle, where 8th graders achieve proficiency rates of 86-90%, nearly double the state average, yet 7th-grade math proficiency plummets to just 23.88%—below the state average. This creates a clear "Middle School Math Slump" from 5th grade (61.73% proficient) through 7th grade, before the dramatic 8th-grade recovery. The data suggests that while the high school excels with strong resource investment, the middle school's lower spending ($8,922 per student) may correlate with its academic struggles. This indicates that targeted, grade-specific interventions, particularly in 7th-grade math and 5th-grade science (22.22% proficient), could significantly improve the district's overall performance.