Of the 2,241 students at Fossil Ridge High School in Keller, 1,837 (82%) 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, Fossil Ridge High School’s student population was made up of 2,241 students, of which 798 were Hispanic, 612 white, 387 African American, 282 Asian, 147 multiracial, eight American Indian, and seven Pacific Islander students.
Data shows that 27.7% of Fossil Ridge High School’s Asian students (78), 26% of its white students (159), 12.5% of its American Indian students (1), 15.6% of its multiracial students (23) and 13.9% of its Hispanic students (111) 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 1,907 Fossil Ridge High School students – equivalent to 82% of the student population – were not on the academic path to college eligibility. This continued with 2023-24, when the percentage stood at 82%.
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.
