Of the 2,419 students at Dean Leaman Junior High School in Fulshear, 1,644 (68%) weren’t on track for college in the 2023-24 school year, according to SW 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, Dean Leaman Junior High School’s student population was made up of 2,419 students, of which 753 were Hispanic, 743 white, 546 African American, 246 Asian, 118 multiracial, 11 American Indian, and two Pacific Islander students.
Data shows that 50% of Dean Leaman Junior High School’s Pacific Islander students (1), 45.5% of its American Indian students (5), 44.7% of its Asian students (110), 38% of its white students (282) and 36.4% of its multiracial students (43) 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 1,489 Dean Leaman Junior High School students – equivalent to 68% of the student population – were not on the academic path to college eligibility. This continued with 2023-24, when the percentage stood at 68%.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| B. F. Terry High School | 1,530 | 13% |
| Beasley Elementary School | 408 | 18% |
| Bentley Elementary School | 1,207 | 35% |
| Bess Campbell Elementary School | 423 | 62% |
| Bowie Elementary School | 427 | 10% |
| Briscoe Junior High School | 1,962 | 36% |
| Cora Thomas Elementary School | 662 | 24% |
| Dean Leaman Junior High School | 2,419 | 32% |
| Don Carter Elementary School | 998 | 36% |
| Dr. Thomas E. Randle High School | 1,783 | 19% |
| Fletcher Morgan Elementary School | 1,079 | 27% |
| Foster High School | 2,576 | 34% |
| Frost Elementary School | 1,066 | 33% |
| Fulshear High School | 2,896 | 30% |
| George Junior High School | 1,144 | 10% |
| George Ranch High School | 2,384 | 37% |
| H. F. McNeill Elementary School | 914 | 41% |
| Harry Wright Junior High School | 1,333 | 17% |
| Huggins Elementary School | 774 | 36% |
| Irma Dru Hutchison Elementary School | 568 | 21% |
| Jackson Elementary School | 401 | 15% |
| Jane Long Elementary School | 554 | 11% |
| Joe Hubenak Elementary School | 1,158 | 38% |
| John Arredondo Elementary School | 680 | 32% |
| Judge James C. Adolphus Elementary School | 988 | 37% |
| Kathleen Joerger Lindsey Elementary School | 1,196 | 30% |
| Lamar Cons High School | 1,735 | 17% |
| Lamar Junior High School | 1,240 | 17% |
| Manford Williams Elementary School | 708 | 31% |
| Meyer Elementary School | 501 | 27% |
| Reading Junior High School | 1,538 | 45% |
| Smith Elementary School | 331 | 16% |
| Stephen F. Austin Elementary School | 567 | 27% |
| Susanna Dickinson Elementary School | 559 | 50% |
| T. L. Pink Elementary School | 461 | 11% |
| Tamarron Elementary School | 1,170 | 26% |
| Taylor Ray Elementary School | 617 | 17% |
| Thomas R. Culver Elementary School | 837 | 26% |
| Travis Elementary School | 414 | 14% |
| William Velasquez | 499 | 21% |
Source: Texas Education Agency.
