Cross Plains El, Cross Plains TX

Original Research by School Decision on Cross Plains El

Cross Plains Elementary is a small, pre-K through sixth-grade school in rural Callahan County, serving about two hundred students. The school sits in a community where the median home price is below the Texas state benchmark and substantially below the national average, making housing affordable relative to the broader market. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic profile of the area.

The school's recent test results show an uneven picture across grades and subjects. In English/language arts, performance strengthens as students advance: third graders score below the midpoint, fourth graders perform near it, and fifth and sixth graders both score solidly above it. The trend is steeper in language arts than in math. Math proficiency is lower across the board. Third and fourth graders each show performance below the midpoint, fifth graders reach near it, and sixth graders show the strongest results of any grade at the school. Science testing, available only for fifth grade, shows solid proficiency. Social studies proficiency is the school's relatively strongest area when looking at rates of students meeting or exceeding standards.

The school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among the four districts in Callahan County, an indication that despite the modest absolute numbers, Cross Plains Elementary is performing above the midpoint within its county context.

The demographic composition is predominantly white, with a smaller Hispanic enrollment and very few students from other racial or ethnic groups. Data on special education enrollment and English learner status were not available. The school draws students across all the early and middle elementary years fairly evenly, suggesting stable enrollment across grades.

A parent considering this school should understand that it serves a low-income rural community with below-average test results in the early elementary grades, particularly in math, that improve noticeably by fifth and sixth grade. The school's strength relative to its county peers suggests that for a family in this area, it represents solid educational performance, though the absolute proficiency levels in the lower grades fall below where many families might want them to be. The K-6 configuration means students will transition out after sixth grade; the district brief contained no information about how the district manages that transition or what secondary options are available. A parent may want to look into the district's plans for middle and high school pathways, and the school's approach to early literacy and numeracy instruction given the gap between third-grade and upper-grade performance.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 332%

School 32% · District 32%

▼ 8 pts below state median

Grade 432%

School 32% · District 32%

▼ 9 pts below state median

Grade 548%

School 48% · District 48%

▲ 7 pts above state median

Grade 663%

School 63% · District 63%

▲ 29 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 358%

School 58% · District 58%

▲ 12 pts above state median

Grade 468%

School 68% · District 68%

▲ 19 pts above state median

Grade 576%

School 76% · District 76%

▲ 22 pts above state median

Grade 674%

School 74% · District 74%

▲ 22 pts above state median

Science

Grade 571%

School 71% · District 71%

▲ 48 pts above state median

This schoolCROSS PLAINS 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 3Lower-income59%Higher-income56%3 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income65%Higher-income75%10 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income64%Higher-income100%36 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income71%Higher-income77%6 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income27%Higher-income44%17 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income26%Higher-income50%24 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income36%Higher-income71%35 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income57%Higher-income69%12 pp gap