Of the 182 students at Hall Success Academy in Houston, 178 (98%) weren’t on track for college in the 2023-24 school year, according to Houston Republic’s analysis of STAAR scores from the Texas Education Agency (TEA).
The TEA considers students to be on track for college if they demonstrate mastery of the course content through the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR). Students who meet, but do not master their grade level are “prepared to progress to the next grade,” but not yet on college track.
In the 2023-24 school year, Hall Success Academy’s student population was made up of 182 students, of which 118 were Hispanic, 59 African American, two multiracial, and two white students.
Data shows that 2.5% of Hall Success Academy’s Hispanic students (3) had “mastered” their grade level that year and were “on track for college and career readiness,” as measured by state academic standards.
In the 2022-23 school year, the TEA noted that 174 Hall Success Academy students – equivalent to 96% of the student population – were not on the academic path to college eligibility. This contrasts with 2023-24, when the percentage stood at 98%, marking a 2% increase from the previous year.
A recent study by WalletHub classified Texas as one of the least-educated states in the U.S., ranking it 41st out of 50 in educational quality and student outcomes.
Underfunding is a frequently cited challenge facing the state’s school district. According to a 2024 report from the Texas Education Agency, per-pupil funding has not increased since 2019, despite inflation rates rising by more than 20% since then.
“As a result, many districts in our very own Central Texas region are being forced to cut back on essential programs, services, consider school closures, and adopt deficit budgets just to provide students with the education that they deserve,” Hutto ISD Trustee James Matlock stated in an interview.
| School | Total Students | % On College Track |
|---|---|---|
| Aldine High School | 2,552 | 8% |
| Aldine Middle School | 742 | 6% |
| Anderson Academy | 627 | 11% |
| Avalos P-Tech School | 421 | 18% |
| Black Elementary School | 525 | 7% |
| Blanson Cte High School | 1,277 | 24% |
| Bussey Elementary School | 474 | 12% |
| Calvert Elementary School | 427 | 16% |
| Caraway Elementary School | 542 | 1% |
| Carmichael Elementary School | 581 | 19% |
| Carroll Elementary School | 612 | 7% |
| Carter Academy | 697 | 9% |
| Carver High School for Applied Tech/Engineering/Arts | 747 | 9% |
| Conley Elementary School | 336 | 11% |
| Cypresswood Elementary School | 737 | 9% |
| Davis High School Aldine | 3,254 | 6% |
| Drew Academy | 369 | 7% |
| Dunn Elementary School | 801 | 5% |
| Eckert Elementary School | 497 | 5% |
| Eisenhower High School | 2,449 | 5% |
| Ermel Elementary School | 461 | 11% |
| Escamilla Elementary School | 780 | 11% |
| Francis Elementary School | 800 | 8% |
| Garcia Middle School | 964 | 10% |
| Goodman Elementary School | 403 | 19% |
| Grantham Academy | 1,096 | 10% |
| Gray Elementary School | 495 | 8% |
| Greenspoint Elementary School | 729 | 10% |
| Hall Success Academy | 182 | 2% |
| Hambrick Middle School | 939 | 8% |
| Harris Elementary School | 466 | 7% |
| Hill Elementary School | 446 | 13% |
| Hoffman Middle School | 642 | 5% |
| Houston Academy | 390 | 11% |
| Johnson Elementary School | 571 | 7% |
| Jones Elementary School | 723 | 13% |
| Jones Middle School | 1,206 | 9% |
| Kujawa Elementary School | 556 | 9% |
| La Promesa | 340 | 9% |
| Lewis Middle School | 985 | 5% |
| Macarthur High School | 3,548 | 5% |
| Marcella Elementary School | 605 | 9% |
| Mead Middle School | 960 | 7% |
| Nimitz High School | 2,744 | 7% |
| Odom Elementary School | 342 | 13% |
| Ogden Elementary School | 595 | 5% |
| Oleson Elementary School | 396 | 9% |
| Orange Grove Elementary School | 539 | 10% |
| Plummer Middle School | 860 | 7% |
| Raymond Elementary School | 374 | 4% |
| Reed Academy | 664 | 12% |
| Sammons Elementary School | 338 | 12% |
| Shotwell Middle School | 929 | 11% |
| Smith Elementary School | 531 | 4% |
| Spence Elementary School | 663 | 6% |
| Stehlik Elementary School | 462 | 11% |
| Stephens Elementary School | 508 | 11% |
| Stovall Middle School | 907 | 6% |
| Teague Middle School | 978 | 7% |
| Thompson Elementary School | 458 | 20% |
| Victory Early College High School | 416 | 31% |
| Worsham Elementary School | 469 | 19% |
| Young Womens Leadership Academy | 310 | 37% |
Source: Texas Education Agency.
