Central Heights Middle, Nacogdoches TX

Original Research by School Decision on Central Heights Middle

Central Heights Middle serves students in grades six through eight and sits on the north side of Nacogdoches. The school draws from the Central Heights Independent School District, a small district where all three campuses earned A ratings on the Texas Education Agency's 2025 accountability measure, including this one.

On state testing, the school shows a pattern of stronger performance in reading than in math. In English language arts across all three grades, proficiency runs solidly, with eighth graders performing strongest. Mathematics is more uneven. Sixth-grade math proficiency sits below half, seventh grade climbs to just above half, and eighth grade reaches closer to two-thirds. Science proficiency at the eighth-grade level is moderate. Social studies proficiency at eighth grade is the weakest subject area on the school's reported results. Across tested subjects overall, the school's proficiency sits in the top quartile relative to other districts in Nacogdoches County.

The student body is small to mid-sized for a middle school. White students make up a majority of enrollment, with Hispanic students forming a substantial second group. A modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on English learner and special education enrollment were not available. The district recently completed a five-classroom special education addition at the high school, expanding capacity for students needing those services.

Nacogdoches itself is a university town anchored by Stephen F. Austin State University and shaped by the Pilgrim's Pride poultry processing complex. The town has a compact, walkable historic downtown centered on Main Street, and new development spreads along Highway 59 and surrounding corridors. Parks and trails, including creekside paths through and around the university campus, are a draw for outdoor life. Housing markets in the area have been climbing steadily; median home values are below the state benchmark but rising year-over-year. Rent is also increasing but remains moderate as a share of income.

A parent considering this school should view it as serving a small, predominantly rural-to-suburban district with consistent, measurable strength at the secondary level. The reading foundation is solid; mathematics—particularly in earlier grades—and social studies are areas where families might want to look into what additional support or challenge options the school offers.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 652%

School 52% · District 52%

▲ 18 pts above state median

Grade 763%

School 63% · District 63%

▲ 36 pts above state median

Grade 869%

School 69% · District 69%

▲ 27 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 675%

School 75% · District 75%

▲ 23 pts above state median

Grade 774%

School 74% · District 74%

▲ 25 pts above state median

Grade 881%

School 81% · District 81%

▲ 26 pts above state median

Science

Grade 863%

School 63% · District 63%

▲ 21 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 848%

School 48% · District 48%

▲ 24 pts above state median

This schoolCENTRAL HEIGHTS 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-income52%Higher-income85%33 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income68%Higher-income76%8 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income65%Higher-income86%21 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income31%Higher-income61%30 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income55%Higher-income67%12 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income55%Higher-income76%21 pp gap