Of the 594 students at Helen Ball Elementary School in El Paso, 481 (81%) weren’t on track for college in the 2023-24 school year, according to El Paso Standard’s 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, Helen Ball Elementary School’s student population was made up of 594 students, of which 562 were Hispanic, 20 white, and four multiracial students.
Data shows that 35% of Helen Ball Elementary School’s white students (7), 25% of its multiracial students (1) and 18% of its Hispanic students (101) 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 532 Helen Ball Elementary School students – equivalent to 81% of the student population – were not on the academic path to college eligibility. This continued with 2023-24, when the percentage stood at 81%.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Americas High School | 2,179 | 18% |
| Ben Narbuth Elementary School | 932 | 23% |
| Benito Martinez Elementary School | 471 | 21% |
| Bill Sybert School | 748 | 20% |
| Cactus Trails | 1,009 | 30% |
| Campestre Elementary School | 520 | 13% |
| Capt. Walter E. Clarke Middle School | 743 | 17% |
| Chester E. Jordan | 756 | 14% |
| Col. John O. Ensor Middle School | 1,021 | 25% |
| Desert Wind Elementary School | 568 | 14% |
| Dr. Sue A. Shook School | 1,140 | 22% |
| Eastlake High School | 2,939 | 16% |
| Elementary Dorado High School | 2,185 | 14% |
| Elfida Chavez Elementary School | 650 | 12% |
| Ernesto Serna School | 787 | 13% |
| Escontrias Elementary School | 870 | 13% |
| H. D. Hilley Elementary School | 519 | 11% |
| Helen Ball Elementary School | 594 | 19% |
| Horizon Heights Elementary School | 933 | 29% |
| Hueco Elementary School | 581 | 13% |
| Hurshel Antwine Middle School | 734 | 16% |
| James P. Butler Elementary School | 926 | 23% |
| Jane A. Hambric School | 783 | 19% |
| John Drugan School | 981 | 32% |
| Loma Verde | 674 | 29% |
| Lujan-Chavez Elementary School | 972 | 21% |
| Mission Early College High School | 424 | 28% |
| Mission Ridge | 1,013 | 17% |
| Montwood High School | 2,567 | 21% |
| Montwood Middle School | 649 | 23% |
| Myrtle Cooper Elementary School | 551 | 23% |
| O’Shea Keleher Elementary School | 704 | 18% |
| Options High School | 74 | 6% |
| Paso Del Norte Elementary School | 968 | 14% |
| Pebble Hills High School | 2,908 | 19% |
| Purple Heart Elementary School | 944 | 16% |
| Robert R. Rojas Elementary School | 496 | 13% |
| Salvador Sanchez Middle School | 585 | 17% |
| Sgt Roberto Ituarte | 670 | 36% |
| Sgt. Jose F. Carrasco Elementary School | 1,050 | 19% |
| Sierra Vista Elementary School | 630 | 19% |
| Socorro High School | 2,557 | 12% |
| Socorro Middle School | 526 | 12% |
| Spec Rafael Hernando Middle School | 732 | 27% |
| Staff Sergeant Manuel R. Puentes | 1,085 | 23% |
| Sun Ridge Middle School | 995 | 20% |
| Vista Del Sol Elementary School | 495 | 19% |
| William D. Slider Middle School | 635 | 18% |
Source: Texas Education Agency.
