Best Public Schools in Zip Code 79772

The four public schools in zip code 79772 (Pecos, Texas) serve 2,919 students from Pre-K through 12th grade, all part of the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah Independent School District (ISD), which ranks in the 16th percentile statewide and faces significant challenges with high economic disadvantage, as over 63% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Crockett Middle stands out as the most interesting school in the area, showing both exceptional strengths and severe weaknesses. It is the only school with a rising state ranking (from the 25th to 33rd percentile) and achieved a remarkable 94.29% proficiency rate on the Algebra I End-of-Course exam—far exceeding the state average of 54.03%. However, this success contrasts sharply with only 8.47% of its 7th graders being proficient in grade-level math. Pecos High School boasts a very high 97.1% graduation rate and an extremely low 0.1% dropout rate, yet struggles with academic readiness, as only 20.31% of students were proficient in Algebra I. Zavala Elementary shows a bright spot in 5th grade math, where 50% of Spanish-language test takers were proficient—double the state average—but overall math proficiency remains low across all schools.

The district spends over $21,000 per student—roughly double the state average—yet academic outcomes consistently lag 10-20 percentage points below state averages, creating a "high spend, low performance" paradox. The student-teacher ratio averages a favorable 13.1:1, suggesting smaller class sizes, but this hasn't translated into broad academic gains. The most critical takeaway is the extreme math achievement gap: while Crockett Middle excels at accelerating top math students, the general student body across all schools struggles significantly with mathematics, indicating a need for targeted intervention in this subject area.