China Spring Int, Waco TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on China Spring Int

China Spring Intermediate serves grades five and six in Waco, a public school of roughly mid-sized enrollment for its grade band. The school sits within China Spring Independent School District, which in November 2025 approved a tax-rate election narrowly supported by voters. The election generates additional annual revenue while actually lowering the district's overall tax rate; the funds go to teacher salaries, class sizes, and student programs. This matters to families because the district had run consecutive deficit budgets and drawn substantially from reserves in the prior year, a pattern that context for the election now underway. The district also operates on a hybrid four-day school week beginning in 2023-24, with campuses closed on most Fridays to address teacher retention and attendance; families should plan accordingly for childcare and weekly routine.

Academically, the school's test results show uneven performance by subject. In English language arts, proficiency is solid: a clear majority of grade six students reach proficiency or above, and grade five proficiency also sits at or above half. Math proficiency is weaker. Grade six students perform better, with a strong majority proficient; grade five students struggle more, with roughly half reaching proficiency or above. Science presents the softest spot: grade five proficiency sits well below half, a notable gap that parents may want to look into with the school. Overall proficiency across all tested subjects and grades places the school above the midpoint among McLennan County school districts, a meaningful positioning that reflects the stronger showing in ELA offsetting the science weakness.

The school serves a majority white student population, with a substantial Hispanic minority and smaller shares of Black and Asian students. About a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating moderate economic need. Data on students with disabilities or English learners was not available, so parents wanting that detail should ask the school directly.

The locale brief provided limited information about the broader Waco area beyond downtown redevelopment publicly reported as underway; specific neighborhood context near the school was not available to shape a fuller picture of the school's setting.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 549%

School 49% · District 49%

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

Grade 663%

School 63% · District 63%

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 562%

School 62% · District 62%

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 673%

School 73% · District 73%

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

Science

Grade 532%

School 32% · District 32%

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

This schoolCHINA SPRING 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 4Lower-income48%Higher-income71%23 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income46%Higher-income73%27 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income59%Higher-income80%21 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income38%Higher-income62%24 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income34%Higher-income59%25 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income48%Higher-income70%22 pp gap