Of the 578 students at Sunset Valley Elementary School in Fort Worth, 468 (81%) weren’t on track for college in the 2023-24 school year, according to Ft Worth Times’ 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, Sunset Valley Elementary School’s student population was made up of 578 students, of which 167 were white, 136 Hispanic, 124 Asian, 97 African American, and 50 multiracial students.
Data shows that 30.6% of Sunset Valley Elementary School’s Asian students (38), 24% of its multiracial students (12), 18% of its white students (30), 12.5% of its Hispanic students (17) and 9.3% of its African American students (9) 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 473 Sunset Valley Elementary School students – equivalent to 79% 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 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Basswood Elementary School | 517 | 20% |
| Bear Creek Intermediate School | 907 | 41% |
| Bette Perot Elementary School | 544 | 36% |
| Bluebonnet Elementary School | 569 | 20% |
| Caprock Elementary School | 609 | 15% |
| Central High School | 2,542 | 21% |
| Eagle Ridge Elementary School | 563 | 20% |
| Florence Elementary School | 498 | 40% |
| Fossil Hill Middle School | 826 | 15% |
| Fossil Ridge High School | 2,241 | 18% |
| Freedom Elementary School | 653 | 27% |
| Friendship Elementary School | 511 | 16% |
| Heritage Elementary School | 575 | 13% |
| Hidden Lakes Elementary School | 392 | 47% |
| Hillwood Middle School | 1,216 | 26% |
| Independence Elementary School | 473 | 30% |
| Indian Springs Middle School | 910 | 40% |
| Keller Collegiate Academy | 279 | 41% |
| Keller High School | 3,021 | 36% |
| Keller Learning Center | 55 | 13% |
| Keller Middle School | 935 | 42% |
| Keller-Harvel Elementary School | 489 | 40% |
| Liberty Elementary School | 443 | 47% |
| Lone Star Elementary School | 628 | 27% |
| North Riverside Elementary School | 468 | 13% |
| Park Glen Elementary School | 486 | 32% |
| Parkview Elementary School | 611 | 17% |
| Parkwood Hill Intermediate School | 1,121 | 24% |
| Ridgeview Elementary School | 568 | 33% |
| Shady Grove Elementary School | 411 | 35% |
| Sunset Valley Elementary School | 578 | 19% |
| Timber Creek High School | 3,026 | 22% |
| Timberview Middle School | 1,018 | 35% |
| Trinity Meadows Intermediate School | 865 | 21% |
| Trinity Springs Middle School | 906 | 27% |
| Vista Ridge Middle School | 755 | 15% |
| Whitley Road Elementary School | 372 | 19% |
| Willis Lane Elementary School | 512 | 48% |
| Woodland Springs Elementary School | 519 | 28% |
Source: Texas Education Agency.
