Of the 504 students at Heritage Elementary School in Highland Village, 322 (64%) weren’t on track for college in the 2023-24 school year, according to North Texas 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, Heritage Elementary School’s student population was made up of 504 students, of which 319 were white, 77 Hispanic, 66 Asian, 25 multiracial, and 15 African American students.
Data shows that 60.6% of Heritage Elementary School’s Asian students (40), 48% of its multiracial students (12), 32% of its white students (102) and 29.9% of its Hispanic students (23) 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 294 Heritage Elementary School students – equivalent to 58% of the student population – were not on the academic path to college eligibility. This contrasts with 2023-24, when the percentage stood at 64%, marking a 6% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Arbor Creek Middle School | 896 | 32% |
| B. B. Owen Elementary School | 263 | 19% |
| Bluebonnet Elementary School | 672 | 57% |
| Briarhill Middle School | 794 | 35% |
| Camey Elementary School | 441 | 13% |
| Castle Hills Elementary School | 654 | 52% |
| Central Elementary School | 542 | 5% |
| Clayton Downing Middle School | 504 | 51% |
| Coyote Ridge Elementary School | 517 | 16% |
| Creek Valley Middle School | 564 | 33% |
| Creekside Elementary School | 383 | 22% |
| Degan Elementary School | 401 | 13% |
| Delay Middle School | 628 | 6% |
| Ethridge Elementary School | 342 | 18% |
| Flower Mound Elementary School | 569 | 35% |
| Flower Mound High School | 3,442 | 47% |
| Forest Vista Elementary School | 566 | 45% |
| Forestwood Middle School | 918 | 41% |
| Garden Ridge Elementary School | 348 | 35% |
| Griffin Middle School | 720 | 17% |
| Hebron High School | 3,673 | 33% |
| Hebron Valley Elementary School | 405 | 32% |
| Hedrick Middle School | 872 | 12% |
| Heritage Elementary School | 504 | 36% |
| Highland Village Elementary School | 372 | 35% |
| Homestead Elementary School | 458 | 41% |
| Huffines Middle School | 616 | 11% |
| Independence Elementary School | 823 | 29% |
| Indian Creek Elementary School | 541 | 17% |
| Killian Middle School | 945 | 43% |
| Lakeland Elementary School | 649 | 9% |
| Lakeview Middle School | 419 | 12% |
| Lamar Middle School | 728 | 35% |
| Learning Center | 217 | 5% |
| Lewisville Elementary School | 492 | 5% |
| Lewisville High School | 4,161 | 11% |
| Liberty Elementary School | 583 | 44% |
| Marcus High School | 3,003 | 37% |
| Marjory Vickery Elementary School | 624 | 13% |
| Marshall Durham Middle School | 648 | 8% |
| McAuliffe Elementary School | 525 | 42% |
| McKamy Middle School | 825 | 52% |
| Mill Street Elementary School | 634 | 5% |
| Morningside Elementary School | 345 | 21% |
| Old Settlers Elementary School | 466 | 54% |
| Parkway Elementary School | 603 | 15% |
| Peters Colony Elementary School | 559 | 12% |
| Prairie Trail Elementary School | 651 | 35% |
| Rockbrook Elementary School | 592 | 8% |
| STEM Academy at Bridlewood Elementary | 586 | 43% |
| STEM Academy at Donald Elementary | 572 | 33% |
| STEM Academy at Memorial Elementary | 730 | 34% |
| STEM Academy at Polser Elementary | 498 | 32% |
| STEM Academy at Valley Ridge Elementary | 548 | 22% |
| Shadow Ridge Middle School | 642 | 50% |
| Southridge Elementary School | 612 | 8% |
| The Colony High School | 1,877 | 18% |
| Timber Creek Elementary School | 438 | 23% |
| Tom Hicks Elementary School | 593 | 36% |
| Wellington Elementary School | 722 | 48% |
Source: Texas Education Agency.
