The top reported proficiency rate is 91% in English language arts. The lowest is 76% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Carroll Middle
Carroll Middle is a middle school serving seventh and eighth grades in Southlake, a prosperous suburb in northeast Tarrant County within the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. The school enrolls a student body of about equal size across both grades, with a majority white enrollment, substantial representation of Asian students, and smaller shares of Hispanic and multiracial students. Free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility data were not available from the school.
The school's academic performance on state assessments is strong overall, though it shows a meaningful split by grade level. Eighth-grade students demonstrate high proficiency across all tested subjects: in English language arts and mathematics, proficiency rates place eighth graders well above the threshold for meeting state standards, with social studies and science proficiency also solid. Seventh graders, by contrast, show much lower proficiency in mathematics, with fewer than three-fifths meeting or exceeding the standard, while their English language arts proficiency is substantially higher. This disparity suggests either cohort differences or a transition effect, and a parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand what support is available for students entering seventh-grade mathematics.
Across the proficiency levels Texas reports, the school shows strength in foundational skills: nearly all students approach grade-level standards in English language arts and mathematics. Mastery-level performance (the highest standard) sits in the mid-range across subjects, which is typical for schools with strong overall performance but underscores that while most students are meeting grade-level expectations, advanced achievement is less concentrated.
Tarrant County comparison data position Carroll Middle in the top quartile among county districts when looking at overall proficiency. The school's performance ranks above the median substantially, reflecting the affluent community it serves and the resources available to it.
Southlake itself is an affluent, predominantly residential community with high median home values and household incomes well above national averages. The city's built environment is centered on Southlake Town Square, a mixed-use downtown modeled on traditional Texas courthouse squares with walkable streets, plazas, and retail. Outside the town center, the community is car-dependent. The broader area has experienced significant residential growth since the 1980s and continues to see new condominium and single-family development, including recent projects within Town Square itself.
The Carroll Independent School District, which operates Carroll Middle, has navigated substantial property tax reductions over the past several years, lowering the total tax rate considerably since 2021 while home values remain elevated. In November 2025, district voters approved an additional tax increase through a golden penny measure projected to fund staff compensation and programming. The district has also announced plans to close Durham Intermediate School after the 2027-28 school year, consolidating its three intermediate/middle campuses to two in response to enrollment decline, a change that will affect campus boundaries and assignments.
The district's recent history includes public controversy around diversity and equity programming. In December 2021, the board rejected a proposed Cultural Competence Action Plan as part of a lawsuit settlement and disbanded its diversity council. The district faced federal civil rights investigations during this period. Families considering the school should understand that the district's current approach to diversity, equity, and related programs reflects this history and differs from some neighboring districts' policies.
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