Palacios Isd, TX - District Data

Original Research by School Decision on Palacios Isd

Palacios Independent School District, a small district in Matagorda County serving pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, has undergone major structural change. Voters approved a school building bond that funded construction of a new Pre-K through 5th grade campus, which opened in late 2024. The district now operates two brand-new campuses: an elementary school serving pre-K through 5th grade and a junior-senior high school serving grades 6 through 12. This represents a fundamental reorganization of where Palacios students attend school.

Academically, the district's recent state testing shows uneven performance across subjects and grades. In English language arts, results vary significantly by grade level. Third graders show lower proficiency, while sixth and seventh graders perform substantially stronger. Eighth-grade ELA proficiency sits at a moderate level. Math proficiency is notably weaker, particularly in grades 3 and 7, where only a small portion of students meet proficiency standards. Fourth and eighth graders show better math results, though still below what many would call strong. Science proficiency is modest overall, with fifth-grade students showing particular struggle. Eighth-grade science performance is better. Social studies proficiency for eighth graders is below half. When proficiency is measured across all subjects and grades, the district sits above the midpoint among Matagorda County's other districts, though this reflects a relatively low bar; the strongest districts in the county are notably higher.

The district's enrollment is small, under a thousand students. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a sizable White population and smaller Asian, Black, and other groups. Specific data on free and reduced-price lunch qualification, special education enrollment, and English learner enrollment were not available, so a parent may want to ask the district directly about these populations and the support services available.

Chronic absenteeism is a strength: the district ranks in the top quartile among county districts, with rates well below the county median. Per-pupil spending is in the middle-to-upper range compared to neighboring districts.

Housing in the Palacios area is relatively affordable. Home values are modest, and monthly rent is low relative to local incomes. A household earning median income would spend roughly between one-seventh and one-third of gross income on housing, a reasonable range. Mortgage affordability is similarly favorable.

The new campuses are an investment that families will be living alongside. The district committed to a long-term property tax obligation to fund construction. Parents considering Palacios should look closely at current academic support and intervention strategies, given the mixed testing results, and ask what changes the new facilities and organization have brought to instruction and services.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

1,266

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 72%

Black 1%

White 21%

Asian 4%

Two+ 1%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

—

35%

Gr 4

50%

46%

Gr 5

—

71%

Gr 6

57%

62%

Gr 7

54%

66%

Gr 8

47%

65%

Math

Gr 3

—

22%

Gr 4

52%

54%

Gr 5

26%

52%

Gr 6

22%

38%

Gr 7

21%

Gr 8

39%

56%

Science

Gr 5

23%

62%

Gr 8

40%

69%

Social studies

Gr 8

28%

54%

all_subjects_approaches

Gr ALL

47%

—

all_subjects_masters

Gr ALL

—

all_subjects_meets

Gr ALL

22%

—

ela_approaches

Gr ALL

42%

—

ela_masters

Gr ALL

—

ela_meets

Gr ALL

23%

—

math_approaches

Gr ALL

48%

—

math_masters

Gr ALL

—

math_meets

Gr ALL

19%

—

science_approaches

Gr ALL

52%

—

science_masters

Gr ALL

11%

—

science_meets

Gr ALL

22%

—

social_studies_approaches

Gr ALL

54%

—

social_studies_masters

Gr ALL

—

social_studies_meets

Gr ALL

22%

—

Schools in this District

4 schools are officially reported under this district.

CENTRAL EL

EAST SIDE INT

PALACIOS JUNIOR SENIOR H S

PALACIOS J H

Academic Performance

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

Mathematics

5 grades reported

22%

Grade 3

51%

Grade 4

25%

Grade 6

11%

Grade 7

43%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

4 grades reported

25%

Grade 3

59%

Grade 6

58%

Grade 7

51%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

34%

Grade 5

47%

Grade 8

Social Studies

1 grade reported

34%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

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

Home Values

Typical home value$186,856

Year-over-year change+0.9%

Range across 4 ZIP codes$186K to $215K

vs. state typical0.62x

vs. national typical0.51x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (4 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
77465	Palacios	$186K	+1.1%	72.5%
77979	Port Lavaca	$187K	-0.7%	12.9%
77414	Bay City	$197K	+2.2%	3.7%
77419	Blessing	$215K	+6.7%	0.6%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$975/mo

Year-over-year change+7.6%

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (1 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
77414	Bay City	$975	+7.6%	3.7%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$943/mo

Home price / national median income2.2x

Annual rent / national median income14.0%

Rent exceeds est. mortgage by$32/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.