Of the 770 students at Bens Branch Elementary School in Porter, 631 (82%) weren’t on track for college in the 2023-24 school year, according to NW Houston News’ 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, Bens Branch Elementary School’s student population was made up of 770 students, of which 361 were Hispanic, 282 white, 71 African American, 27 multiracial, and 27 Asian students.
Data shows that 29.6% of Bens Branch Elementary School’s Asian students (8), 23.8% of its white students (67), 18.5% of its multiracial students (5), 10.8% of its Hispanic students (39) and 9.9% of its African American students (7) 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 504 Bens Branch Elementary School students – equivalent to 70% of the student population – were not on the academic path to college eligibility. This contrasts with 2023-24, when the percentage stood at 82%, marking a 12% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Bens Branch Elementary School | 770 | 18% |
| Brookwood Forest Elementary School | 795 | 11% |
| Dogwood Elementary School | 845 | 10% |
| Infinity Early College High School | 384 | 31% |
| Keefer Crossing Middle School | 1,255 | 9% |
| Kings Manor Elementary School | 800 | 15% |
| New Caney Elementary School | 654 | 10% |
| New Caney High School | 2,360 | 9% |
| Oakley Elementary School | 812 | 8% |
| Pine Valley Middle School | 757 | 13% |
| Porter Elementary School | 802 | 13% |
| Porter High School | 2,116 | 11% |
| Project Restore | 15 | 0% |
| Robert Crippen Elementary School | 754 | 11% |
| Sorters Mill Elementary School | 844 | 12% |
| Tavola Elementary School | 1,036 | 11% |
| The Learning Center | 103 | 2% |
| Valley Ranch Elementary School | 870 | 15% |
| West Fork High School | 828 | 14% |
| White Oak Middle School | 849 | 12% |
| Woodridge Forest Middle School | 1,309 | 19% |
Source: Texas Education Agency.
