Priority Charter Schools, TX

Original Research by School Decision on Priority Charter Schools

Priority Charter Schools operates three campuses across Bell County: one in Temple, one in Copperas Cove, and a newer one in Killeen that opened in 2023. The district serves a small overall enrollment spanning prekindergarten through twelfth grade. Its student body is racially and ethnically diverse, with roughly a third identifying as White, about a third as Hispanic, roughly a fifth as Black, and the remainder distributed across other groups.

The district's recent footprint has contracted. In 2023, it closed both its Cedar Park and Georgetown campuses, which had served early grades. That same year, it opened a growing campus in north Killeen, currently expanding one grade level per year. These changes mean families in Cedar Park and Georgetown lost their Priority option, while the Killeen area gained a small, building charter school.

Academic performance across Priority's tested grades reveals a pattern of uneven results. In English language arts, proficiency rates range from low in third grade to stronger performance in the upper middle grades; eighth-grade ELA shows the highest proficiency rate among all tested grades. Mathematics is a softer area: proficiency is modest in third and fourth grades and drops significantly in fifth through eighth grades, with one middle grade showing particularly low results. Science proficiency in fifth grade is quite low, though eighth-grade science improves noticeably. Social studies proficiency in eighth grade is also low. Across all subjects, students are more likely to meet the "approaches" standard (indicating foundational progress) than the "meets" or "masters" standards (indicating solid or advanced proficiency).

When compared to other districts in Bell County, Priority Charter Schools ranks below the midpoint on overall proficiency. Chronic absenteeism is notably high, placing the district in the bottom quartile among its county peers. This attendance challenge may be worth understanding further with the school directly. Per-pupil spending is in the upper-middle range for the county, suggesting resources are not the tightest constraint.

The district does not report a graduation rate, which is typical for charter systems with smaller upper-grade cohorts or inconsistent longitudinal tracking. Data on free-and-reduced-price lunch eligibility, special education enrollment, and English learner enrollment were also not available. These gaps reflect limitations in how some charter entities report rather than weaknesses in the schools themselves, but a parent may want to ask the campuses directly about their student support systems and the composition of their student population.

Priority operates as a preK-12 charter system without a traditional high school progression visible in the current data; the upper grades exist but the district's recent growth strategy has emphasized younger grades. This is relevant for families with older students, as the path forward may involve transition planning as those grade levels develop.

See more original research from School Decision →

District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

486

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 32%

Black 22%

White 32%

Asian 1%

Two+ 10%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 2%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

46%

33%

Gr 4

33%

53%

Gr 5

35%

82%

Gr 6

53%

43%

Gr 7

58%

25%

Gr 8

61%

45%

Math

Gr 3

13%

27%

Gr 4

39%

53%

Gr 5

20%

55%

Gr 6

13%

Gr 7

21%

Gr 8

12%

Science

Gr 5

36%

Gr 8

50%

36%

Social studies

Gr 8

17%

all_subjects_approaches

Gr ALL

39%

—

all_subjects_masters

Gr ALL

—

all_subjects_meets

Gr ALL

12%

—

ela_approaches

Gr ALL

40%

—

ela_masters

Gr ALL

—

ela_meets

Gr ALL

16%

—

math_approaches

Gr ALL

33%

—

math_masters

Gr ALL

—

math_meets

Gr ALL

—

science_approaches

Gr ALL

67%

—

science_masters

Gr ALL

—

science_meets

Gr ALL

22%

—

social_studies_approaches

Gr ALL

38%

—

social_studies_masters

Gr ALL

—

social_studies_meets

Gr ALL

—

Schools in this District

5 schools are officially reported under this district.

PRIORITY CHARTER SCHOOLS TEMPLE

GEORGETOWN CHARTER ACADEMY

CEDAR PARK CHARTER ACADEMY

PRIORITY CHARTER SCHOOLS COPPERAS COVE

PRIORITY CHARTER SCHOOLS - KILLEEN

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

18%

Grade 3

43%

Grade 4

31%

Grade 5

Grade 6

13%

Grade 7

11%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

41%

Grade 3

43%

Grade 4

53%

Grade 5

47%

Grade 6

47%

Grade 7

55%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

16%

Grade 5

45%

Grade 8

Social Studies

1 grade reported

10%

Grade 8

Data Currently Unavailable

Community & Housing Context
Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.