Big Spring Isd, TX - District Data

Original Research by School Decision on Big Spring Isd

Big Spring ISD serves a diverse, predominantly Hispanic community of school-age children across Howard County, Texas. The district enrolls students from pre-K through grade twelve, operating a small tier of schools that includes five elementary buildings, an intermediate school, a junior high, a high school, and a disciplinary alternative education program. The enrollment is roughly mid-sized for a rural Texas district.

The student body is majority Hispanic, with meaningful representation of white students and smaller populations of Black, Asian, and multiracial students. The district does not publicly report its free-or-reduced-price-lunch rate, so a full economic profile is not available here.

On state assessments administered in the most recent school year, Big Spring ISD shows proficiency rates that fall below the midpoint among Howard County's districts. In math, performance varies sharply by grade. Fourth-grade math proficiency is above many benchmarks, while fifth- and seventh-grade cohorts show markedly lower results. In English language arts, the pattern is less extreme; grades four through eight cluster around the mid-40s in proficiency, while grade three lags considerably. Science proficiency in grade five stands at about a quarter of students, improving to around four in ten by grade eight. Social studies, tested only in grade eight, shows particularly low proficiency.

Within the county's three districts, Big Spring ranks in the bottom quartile on overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. The district also faces a chronic absenteeism rate substantially higher than its county peers, running in the low-to-mid 20s compared to single-digit and low-teen rates elsewhere in the county. This gap may reflect economic mobility, family circumstances, or transportation challenges in the service area, and it often correlates with lower academic outcomes. Parents may want to explore what drives this rate and what supports the district offers to address it.

Per-pupil spending in Big Spring ISD sits in the upper-middle range for the county, suggesting reasonable resource allocation relative to peer districts, though students may face specific gaps in core instruction or targeted intervention programs.

A tangible issue for families considering the district: in May 2024, voters defeated a bond package that would have replaced the aging high school with a new facility. That vote also avoided a substantial property-tax increase. For families relocating to Big Spring, this means the high school campus remains the older structure, and the future of capital improvements remains uncertain.

The district maintains a stable operational presence with multiple school sites and a recognized alternative education campus. However, the combination of proficiency results well below the county median, elevated chronic absenteeism, and unresolved facility questions suggests Big Spring ISD faces real academic and resource challenges. A parent considering enrollment should seek more detail from the district about intervention strategies, staffing, and turnaround plans, as the available data indicate the district is working from a deficit position relative to its immediate peers.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

3,451

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 69%

Black 5%

White 22%

Asian 1%

Two+ 3%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

24%

47%

Gr 4

40%

—

Gr 5

40%

47%

Gr 6

38%

49%

Gr 7

42%

48%

Gr 8

37%

58%

Math

Gr 3

32%

—

Gr 4

68%

58%

Gr 5

29%

—

Gr 6

32%

48%

Gr 7

13%

27%

Gr 8

29%

38%

Science

Gr 5

20%

28%

Gr 8

32%

52%

Social studies

Gr 8

12%

32%

all_subjects_approaches

Gr ALL

55%

—

all_subjects_masters

Gr ALL

—

all_subjects_meets

Gr ALL

33%

—

ela_approaches

Gr ALL

50%

—

ela_masters

Gr ALL

—

ela_meets

Gr ALL

31%

—

math_approaches

Gr ALL

56%

—

math_masters

Gr ALL

10%

—

math_meets

Gr ALL

36%

—

science_approaches

Gr ALL

56%

—

science_masters

Gr ALL

12%

—

science_meets

Gr ALL

30%

—

social_studies_approaches

Gr ALL

67%

—

social_studies_masters

Gr ALL

—

social_studies_meets

Gr ALL

30%

—

Schools in this District

9 schools are officially reported under this district.

Academic Performance

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

Mathematics

6 grades reported

35%

Grade 3

65%

Grade 4

30%

Grade 5

38%

Grade 6

18%

Grade 7

31%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

5 grades reported

29%

Grade 3

41%

Grade 4

43%

Grade 6

44%

Grade 7

44%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

23%

Grade 5

38%

Grade 8

Social Studies

1 grade reported

18%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$146,501

Year-over-year change+5.1%

Range across 2 ZIP codes$145K to $203K

vs. state typical0.48x

vs. national typical0.40x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (2 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
79720	Big Spring	$145K	+5.0%	96.7%
79511	Coahoma	$203K	+7.9%	3.3%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,288/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (1 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
79720	Big Spring	$1,288	—	96.7%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$739/mo

Home price / national median income1.8x

Annual rent / national median income18.4%

Rent exceeds est. mortgage by$548/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$302,187 (-2.0% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

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.