Of the 800 students at Pat Reynolds Elementary School in Houston, 720 (90%) 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, Pat Reynolds Elementary School’s student population was made up of 800 students, of which 408 were Hispanic, 294 African American, 36 Asian, 33 white, and 25 multiracial students.
Data shows that 21.2% of Pat Reynolds Elementary School’s white students (7), 13.9% of its Asian students (5), 12% of its multiracial students (3), 11.8% of its Hispanic students (48) and 6.8% of its African American students (20) 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 718 Pat Reynolds Elementary School students – equivalent to 86% of the student population – were not on the academic path to college eligibility. This contrasts with 2023-24, when the percentage stood at 90%, marking a 4% 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 | 691 | 7% |
| Andy Dekaney High School | 2,481 | 4% |
| Bammel Elementary School | 678 | 6% |
| Bammel Middle School | 804 | 3% |
| Beneke Elementary School | 576 | 13% |
| Carl Wunsche Senior High School | 1,530 | 27% |
| Carolee Booker Elementary School | 762 | 10% |
| Chet Burchett Elementary School | 875 | 9% |
| Clark Intermediate School | 851 | 7% |
| Deloras E. Thompson Elementary School | 645 | 9% |
| Donna Lewis Elementary School | 671 | 20% |
| Dueitt Middle School | 787 | 6% |
| Edward Roberson Middle School | 816 | 37% |
| Edwin M. Wells Middle School | 841 | 9% |
| Ginger McNabb Elementary School | 697 | 16% |
| Gloria Marshall Elementary School | 872 | 8% |
| Helen Major Elementary School | 554 | 8% |
| Heritage Elementary School | 729 | 6% |
| Hoyland Elementary School | 690 | 12% |
| Joan Link Elementary School | 539 | 7% |
| John Winship Elementary School | 460 | 18% |
| Meyer Elementary School | 711 | 12% |
| Mildred Jenkins Elementary School | 631 | 11% |
| Milton Cooper Elementary School | 777 | 11% |
| New High School | 236 | 1% |
| Northgate Elementary School | 685 | 16% |
| Pat Reynolds Elementary School | 800 | 10% |
| Pearl M. Hirsch Elementary School | 690 | 10% |
| Ponderosa Elementary School | 736 | 3% |
| Ralph Eickenroht Elementary School | 583 | 6% |
| Rickey C. Bailey Middle School | 1,028 | 6% |
| Salyers Elementary School | 524 | 3% |
| Smith Elementary School | 640 | 8% |
| Spring Early College Academy | 365 | 35% |
| Spring High School | 2,760 | 4% |
| Spring Leadership Academy | 405 | 14% |
| Springwoods Village Middle School | 485 | 16% |
| Stelle Claughton Middle School | 898 | 10% |
| The School for International Studies at Bammel | 88 | 6% |
| Twin Creeks Middle School | 893 | 11% |
| Westfield High School | 2,301 | 4% |
Source: Texas Education Agency.
