Original Research by School Decision on Fred Moore H S
Fred Moore is an alternative high school serving grades 9 through 12 in Denton, operated by Denton ISD. The school enrolls a small student body, with the enrollment heavily weighted toward seniors. A substantial majority of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. The student population is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller shares of White, Black, and Asian students.
The school's academic profile shows uneven results across subjects. In mathematics and science, all students met the "approaches" level on state assessments, meaning universal basic proficiency. In social studies, the same held true. English language arts showed lower proficiency at the approaches level, with less than three-quarters of students meeting that floor. When looking at higher achievement tiers, the picture narrows considerably. In mathematics, no students reached the "masters" level, and fewer than half reached the "meets" level. Science fared somewhat better, with a minority reaching "masters" status. English language arts showed the lowest gains at higher levels, with no students reaching "masters" and only a small portion reaching "meets." Across all tested subjects combined, the "meets" threshold was cleared by about a third of the student body, while the "masters" level was reached by a much smaller share.
The school's character as an alternative program reflects its role in Denton ISD's educational ecosystem. Alternative schools typically serve students who have not succeeded in traditional high school settings, whether due to prior academic struggle, behavioral concerns, credit recovery, or other circumstances. The heavy concentration of seniors suggests Fred Moore may function partly as a completion or diploma pathway for students who have fallen behind in grade-level progression. A parent may want to look directly into the school's admissions criteria, student support services, and typical student journey to understand whether this setting matches a particular student's situation.
Denton itself is part of the rapidly expanding Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, with a downtown centered on the courthouse square and two universities, University of North Texas and Texas Woman's University, shaping local character and economy. The broader Denton ISD is currently in a period of significant change: voters approved a substantial bond in 2023 for new campuses and a fifth high school to accommodate sustained enrollment growth, and in November 2025, voters raised the property tax rate to address a budget shortfall and fund teacher salaries and programs. The district also announced a new K-12 virtual program, Denton Digital, launching in Fall 2026. These district-wide shifts reflect a district managing rapid growth while balancing fiscal pressures, which may affect resource allocation and planning for alternative programs like Fred Moore.
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