Of the 713 students at Ridgecrest Elementary School in Houston, 591 (83%) 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, Ridgecrest Elementary School’s student population was made up of 713 students, of which 652 were Hispanic, 26 white, 20 African American, and seven multiracial students.
Data shows that 57.1% of Ridgecrest Elementary School’s multiracial students (4), 30.8% of its white students (8), 25% of its African American students (5) and 16% of its Hispanic students (104) 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 568 Ridgecrest Elementary School students – equivalent to 80% of the student population – were not on the academic path to college eligibility. This contrasts with 2023-24, when the percentage stood at 83%, marking a 3% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Creek Elementary School | 408 | 12% |
| Bunker Hill Elementary School | 743 | 48% |
| Cedar Brook Elementary School | 668 | 23% |
| Cornerstone Academy | 382 | 72% |
| Edgewood Elementary School | 486 | 12% |
| Frostwood Elementary School | 833 | 52% |
| Hollibrook Elementary School | 655 | 19% |
| Housman Elementary School | 358 | 15% |
| Hunters Creek Elementary School | 610 | 45% |
| Landrum Middle School | 975 | 8% |
| Meadow Wood Elementary School | 630 | 34% |
| Memorial Drive Elementary School | 360 | 50% |
| Memorial High School | 2,640 | 42% |
| Memorial Middle School | 1,247 | 60% |
| Northbrook High School | 2,596 | 9% |
| Northbrook Middle School | 842 | 11% |
| Nottingham Elementary School | 769 | 39% |
| Pine Shadows Elementary School | 769 | 17% |
| Ridgecrest Elementary School | 713 | 17% |
| Rummel Creek Elementary School | 810 | 53% |
| Shadow Oaks Elementary School | 448 | 11% |
| Sherwood Elementary School | 441 | 17% |
| Spring Branch Academic Institute | 148 | 95% |
| Spring Branch Elementary School | 505 | 14% |
| Spring Branch Middle School | 1,101 | 39% |
| Spring Forest Middle School | 963 | 24% |
| Spring Oaks Middle School | 579 | 12% |
| Spring Shadows Elementary School | 532 | 8% |
| Spring Woods High School | 2,066 | 14% |
| Spring Woods Middle School | 726 | 7% |
| Stratford High School | 2,309 | 33% |
| Terrace Elementary School | 383 | 20% |
| Thornwood Elementary School | 392 | 19% |
| Treasure Forest Elementary School | 432 | 6% |
| Valley Oaks Elementary School | 878 | 54% |
| Westchester Academy for International Studies | 864 | 48% |
| Westwood Elementary School | 430 | 15% |
| Wilchester Elementary School | 859 | 58% |
| Woodview Elementary School | 494 | 8% |
