Of the 528 students at Bessie Coleman Middle School in Cedar Hill, 496 (94%) weren’t on track for college in the 2023-24 school year, according to SW Dallas 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, Bessie Coleman Middle School’s student population was made up of 528 students, of which 378 were African American, 102 Hispanic, 27 multiracial, 11 white, seven Asian, and three American Indian students.
Data shows that 27.3% of Bessie Coleman Middle School’s white students (3), 14.3% of its Asian students (1), 6.9% of its Hispanic students (7), 4.8% of its African American students (18) and 3.7% of its multiracial students (1) 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 603 Bessie Coleman Middle School students – equivalent to 93% of the student population – were not on the academic path to college eligibility. This contrasts with 2023-24, when the percentage stood at 94%, marking a 1% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Bessie Coleman Middle School | 528 | 6% |
| Cedar Hill Collegiate Academy | 295 | 30% |
| Cedar Hill Collegiate High School | 291 | 28% |
| Cedar Hill Collegiate Prep | 473 | 28% |
| Cedar Hill High School | 2,075 | 6% |
| High Pointe Elementary School | 487 | 10% |
| Highlands Elementary School | 436 | 10% |
| Lakeridge Elementary School | 400 | 10% |
| Plummer Elementary School | 411 | 9% |
| W. S. Permenter Middle | 502 | 10% |
| Waterford Oaks Elementary School | 437 | 11% |
Source: Texas Education Agency.
