High Island Isd, TX - District Data

Original Research by School Decision on High Island Isd

High Island ISD is a small district in Galveston County serving preschool through grade 12, with enrollment concentrated in a single school building. The district sits in a residential coastal setting where housing values reflect modest market appreciation balanced against property-tax considerations that matter to families evaluating the area.

Academically, the district shows uneven performance across grades and subjects. In English language arts, proficiency ranges from below half the cohort in third and sixth grades to strong performance in eighth grade. Mathematics presents more volatility: proficiency in third grade sits at about midway, drops to zero in fourth grade, rebounds sharply in fifth grade, then settles around half or slightly less in later grades. Science proficiency hovers around middle-range in the tested grades. Social studies in eighth grade lags, with proficiency below where it sits in other tested subjects. When viewed across all tested subjects, the district ranks in the top quartile among its county peers on overall proficiency, a position that reflects a small cohort with wide grade-to-grade swings rather than consistent high performance. The data shows eight results meeting or exceeding proficiency thresholds set by Texas, but several grades fall well below state targets, and the pattern suggests students encounter dips at specific grade transitions that merit attention from the school.

Chronic absenteeism sits above the county median, a marker that sometimes correlates with engagement or support structures worth asking the school about directly. Per-pupil spending is in the upper range for Galveston County, suggesting the district invests materially in instruction despite its small size.

The student body is predominantly white, with about one in ten Hispanic students and a small representation of Asian and multiracial families. Enrollment numbers are small across every grade, which shapes peer density, program breadth, and the individualized attention students receive. The district serves all grades in a unified building, an arrangement that can streamline operations and family engagement but constrains some specialized programming.

A significant change is underway. In May 2025, voters approved a major bond to replace facilities described as aged and condemned. Construction of a new campus is expected to open for the 2027-28 school year, creating a modern, shared facility with a joint gymnasium and library serving both elementary and high school students. Publicly reported details indicate the new building replaces structures that had served the community for decades. Alongside this investment, the district implemented a property-tax rate decrease rather than maintaining the status quo, meaning families gain substantially improved school facilities without facing a higher tax bill—a tangible financial and physical asset for prospective residents weighing relocation.

For families drawn to a small-district environment with personal attention and recent capital reinvestment, High Island ISD offers that pathway. For those prioritizing consistent, uniformly strong standardized performance or extensive course selection and specialized programs, a parent may want to look into how the district supports students through its grade-level transitions and what elective and career-pathway offerings exist within the unified school structure.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

159

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 10%

White 82%

Asian 3%

Two+ 4%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 1%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

50%

—

Gr 4

40%

—

Gr 5

—

60%

Gr 6

17%

—

Gr 7

83%

—

Gr 8

71%

80%

Math

Gr 3

33%

—

Gr 4

—

Gr 5

—

60%

Gr 6

33%

—

Gr 7

50%

—

Gr 8

50%

—

Science

Gr 5

—

60%

Gr 8

57%

60%

Social studies

Gr 8

29%

40%

all_subjects_approaches

Gr ALL

56%

—

all_subjects_masters

Gr ALL

22%

—

all_subjects_meets

Gr ALL

25%

—

ela_approaches

Gr ALL

50%

—

ela_masters

Gr ALL

21%

—

ela_meets

Gr ALL

29%

—

math_approaches

Gr ALL

58%

—

math_masters

Gr ALL

25%

—

math_meets

Gr ALL

25%

—

Schools in this District

1 schools are officially reported under this district.

HIGH ISLAND SCHOOL

Academic Performance

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

Mathematics

6 grades reported

30%

Grade 3

Grade 4

71%

Grade 5

50%

Grade 6

44%

Grade 7

56%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

40%

Grade 3

56%

Grade 4

71%

Grade 5

40%

Grade 6

56%

Grade 7

75%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

57%

Grade 5

58%

Grade 8

Social Studies

1 grade reported

33%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

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

Home Values

Typical home value$389,146

Year-over-year change-11.0%

vs. state typical1.29x

vs. national typical1.06x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (1 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
77650	Port Bolivar	$389K	-11.0%	5.6%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$1,964/mo

Home price / national median income4.7x

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.