Of the 788 students at Lupe Garcia Elementary School in Smiley, 638 (81%) weren’t on track for college in the 2023-24 school year, according to East DFW 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, Lupe Garcia Elementary School’s student population was made up of 788 students, of which 351 were white, 216 Hispanic, 143 African American, 39 Asian, and 36 multiracial students.
Data shows that 56.4% of Lupe Garcia Elementary School’s Asian students (22), 25% of its multiracial students (9), 21.9% of its white students (77), 14.8% of its Hispanic students (32) and 10.5% of its African American students (15) 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 537 Lupe Garcia Elementary School students – equivalent to 76% of the student population – were not on the academic path to college eligibility. This contrasts with 2023-24, when the percentage stood at 81%, marking a 5% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Amanda Rochell Elementary School | 403 | 14% |
| Amy Parks-Heath Elementary School | 716 | 34% |
| Billie Stevenson Elementary School | 748 | 28% |
| Celia Hays Elementary School | 582 | 40% |
| Doris Cullins-Lake Pointe Elementary School | 530 | 19% |
| Dorothy Smith Pullen Elementary School | 604 | 38% |
| Dorris A. Jones Elementary School | 648 | 24% |
| Grace Hartman Elementary School | 487 | 35% |
| Herman E. Utley Middle School | 886 | 34% |
| Howard Dobbs Elementary School | 506 | 27% |
| J. W. Williams Middle School | 849 | 41% |
| Linda Lyon Elementary School | 851 | 29% |
| Lupe Garcia Elementary School | 788 | 19% |
| Maurine Cain Middle School | 1,154 | 32% |
| Nebbie Williams Elementary School | 429 | 53% |
| Ouida Springer | 623 | 34% |
| Rockwall High School | 2,898 | 35% |
| Rockwall Quest Academy | 31 | 7% |
| Rockwall-Heath High School | 2,942 | 27% |
| Sharon Shannon Elementary School | 657 | 30% |
| Sherry and Paul Hamm Elementary School | 688 | 42% |
| Virginia Reinhardt Elementary School | 675 | 32% |
Source: Texas Education Agency.
