Lake Belton Middle, Temple TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Lake Belton Middle

Lake Belton Middle is a mid-sized regular public school serving grades six through eight in Temple, Texas, part of Belton ISD. The school sits in a growing suburban area of Bell County as Temple expands westward, with the district having invested in new campus facilities through a recent bond referendum to manage rapid enrollment growth.

The school's testing results show uneven performance across grade levels and subjects. English language arts is a relative strength: sixth graders are proficient at a solid rate, seventh graders perform well, and eighth graders are even stronger. Reading comprehension appears to be the school's foundation. Mathematics tells a different story. Sixth-grade math proficiency is moderate, seventh-grade math proficiency is weak—substantially below the other grades and subjects—and eighth-grade math performance rebounds to a respectable level. The gap in seventh-grade math is pronounced and a parent may want to look into whether the school has a targeted support structure for that cohort. Science proficiency at eighth grade sits at a fair rate, with room for growth. Social studies proficiency at eighth grade is the softest area across all tested subjects and grades at the school.

When aggregated across all subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency sits above the midpoint among the county's districts, meaning it outperforms a substantial share of its neighbors in Bell County on these measures. The school does not fall into the county's bottom tier. That said, the school is not among the highest performers either; there is clear space for improvement in math consistency and social studies mastery.

The student body is diverse. A little under two-thirds of students are white, with Hispanic students making up a substantial portion, Black students representing a meaningful share, and Asian students and other groups present in smaller numbers. About a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is typical for many Texas suburban schools. Specific data on English learners and students receiving special education services were not available.

Belton ISD has undergone significant change in recent years that shapes the climate families will encounter. A substantial bond passed in May 2022 funded expansions at Lake Belton Middle, including fine arts additions, along with two new elementary schools and facilities improvements across the district to manage fast growth. However, more recent bond referrals in November 2025 struggled: voters rejected proposals for aging facility repairs, athletic stadium improvements, and a swim center, approving only a technology device replacement measure. The district has publicly stated that safety and learning-space needs remain unmet, signaling ongoing budget constraints that may affect facility conditions and extracurricular offerings going forward.

A significant shift for the classroom environment took effect in January 2025 and tightened for 2025-26: Belton ISD implemented a full-day cell phone restriction for all students, developed with input from parents and teachers. Devices must now be powered off and stored during the entire instructional day, removing earlier allowances for lunch use. This is a substantial and lasting change to the daily student experience.

Temple itself is one of Central Texas's fastest-growing cities, with rapid westward development toward Belton Lake where the school is located. The downtown has a walkable historic core with civic anchors like the Amtrak station, museums, and mixed-use redevelopment, but much new residential and school development has dispersed to separated suburban campuses on the west side. Housing in the area is reasonably priced relative to state and national benchmarks, and the local job market is anchored by health care, logistics, and manufacturing. The school's location means students are in a community experiencing substantial growth and investment, though with the infrastructure and classroom management challenges that come with rapid expansion.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 654%

School 54% · District 33% · ▲ 21 pts above district

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

Grade 716%

School 16% · District 13% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 864%

School 64% · District 46% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 31 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 663%

School 63% · District 51% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Grade 767%

School 67% · District 53% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 874%

School 74% · District 60% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

Science

Grade 856%

School 56% · District 45% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 831%

School 31% · District 26% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

This schoolBELTON ISD, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income43%Higher-income70%27 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income49%Higher-income74%25 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income59%Higher-income79%20 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income36%Higher-income60%24 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income11%Higher-income20%9 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income51%Higher-income68%17 pp gap