Of the 998 students at Creighton Elementary School in Conroe, 838 (84%) 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, Creighton Elementary School’s student population was made up of 998 students, of which 780 were Hispanic, 158 white, 40 African American, and 14 multiracial students.
Data shows that 16.9% of Creighton Elementary School’s Hispanic students (132), 16.5% of its white students (26) and 7.5% of its African American 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 768 Creighton Elementary School students – equivalent to 82% of the student population – were not on the academic path to college eligibility. This contrasts with 2023-24, when the percentage stood at 84%, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Anderson Elementary School | 714 | 20% |
| Armstrong Elementary School | 626 | 11% |
| Austin Elementary School | 1,024 | 12% |
| Birnham Woods Elementary School | 891 | 29% |
| Booker T. Washington High School | 163 | 4% |
| Bozman Intermediate School | 1,001 | 18% |
| Bradley Elementary School | 1,009 | 27% |
| Broadway Elementary School | 978 | 34% |
| Buckalew Elementary School | 733 | 54% |
| Bush Elementary School | 883 | 42% |
| Caney Creek High School | 2,614 | 10% |
| Clark Intermediate School | 929 | 44% |
| College Park High School | 3,320 | 37% |
| Collins Intermediate School | 778 | 51% |
| Conroe High School | 5,077 | 15% |
| Cox Intermediate School | 1,015 | 31% |
| Creighton Elementary School | 998 | 16% |
| Cryar Intermediate School | 786 | 18% |
| David Elementary School | 619 | 59% |
| Deretchin Elementary School | 1,210 | 50% |
| Donald J. Stockton Junior High School | 1,343 | 18% |
| Ford Elementary School | 855 | 17% |
| Galatas Elementary School | 793 | 52% |
| Giesinger Elementary School | 735 | 22% |
| Glen Loch Elementary School | 529 | 21% |
| Grand Oaks High School | 3,733 | 29% |
| Grangerland Intermediate School | 555 | 9% |
| Hailey Elementary School | 609 | 30% |
| Hope Elementary School | 626 | 13% |
| Houser Elementary School | 611 | 23% |
| Houston Elementary School | 581 | 11% |
| Irons Junior High School | 1,268 | 29% |
| Kaufman Elementary School | 891 | 34% |
| Knox Junior High School | 1,397 | 46% |
| Lamar Elementary School | 719 | 29% |
| McCullough Junior High School | 2,162 | 53% |
| Milam Elementary School | 551 | 11% |
| Mitchell Intermediate School | 1,241 | 52% |
| Moorhead Junior High School | 1,366 | 13% |
| Oak Ridge Elementary School | 603 | 27% |
| Oak Ridge High School | 2,697 | 23% |
| Patterson Elementary School | 1,083 | 12% |
| Peet Junior High School | 1,322 | 25% |
| Powell Elementary School | 861 | 43% |
| Reaves Elementary School | 758 | 26% |
| Rice Elementary School | 593 | 14% |
| Ride Elementary School | 546 | 47% |
| Runyan Elementary School | 692 | 17% |
| San Jacinto Elementary School | 609 | 16% |
| Snyder Elementary School | 846 | 30% |
| Stewart Elementary School | 861 | 55% |
| Suchma Elementary School | 1,337 | 34% |
| The Woodlands High School | 4,488 | 47% |
| Tough Elementary School | 991 | 53% |
| Travis Intermediate School | 499 | 10% |
| Vogel Intermediate School | 957 | 22% |
| Wilkerson Intermediate School | 742 | 27% |
| Wilkinson Elementary School | 961 | 24% |
| York Junior High School | 1,975 | 39% |
Source: Texas Education Agency.
