Lucy Aragon J H, Freer TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Lucy Aragon J H

Lucy Aragon Junior High serves students in grades six through eight in Freer, a small South Texas brush-country town where the oil and gas industry has historically anchored the economy. The school is part of Freer ISD, a rural three-campus district in northwestern Duval County.

The school's most recent state testing data shows uneven performance across subjects. In English language arts, students performed at a below-midpoint level, with slightly above half of students meeting or exceeding proficiency across the three grades. Mathematics proficiency was notably weaker, with fewer than half of students meeting grade-level standards in sixth and seventh grade, though eighth grade improved modestly. In science, the school reported results at the borderline. Social studies presents a significant soft spot: only a very small fraction of eighth graders met proficiency, a result that stands well below performance in other tested areas. The school sits in the top quartile for overall proficiency when compared against other districts in Duval County, though the county context is itself a small rural region.

The student body is almost entirely Hispanic, reflecting the town's demographics. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, an indicator of economic need in the community. Enrollment is small, typical of a rural junior high, with roughly even distribution across the three grades.

Freer itself is experiencing gradual population decline tied to the contraction of the oil and gas industry. Large petrochemical employers that once dominated local hiring have closed operations, leaving the economy more dependent on health care, education, and remaining energy infrastructure. The housing market has slowed accordingly, though some families return to inherited homes to raise children. Home values in the area are notably low, reflecting limited demand and the economic headwinds the town faces. The town functions as a crossroads settlement along US Highway 59 and State Highway 44 rather than as a dense walkable center, and it sits a distance from urban amenities and higher-wage employment centers.

Parents may want to look into the school's instructional approach in social studies further with the district, given that performance gap. The school operates within a small district with limited resources typical of rural Texas education, and families should understand that academic support and course breadth will reflect that rural setting. For families already rooted in Freer through work or kinship, this school is the neighborhood option; for those considering the area, the combination of modest academic proficiency, economic constraints in the community, and limited local job growth are relevant context for school choice and long-term residence decisions.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 624%

School 24% · District 24%

▼ 10 pts below state median

Grade 736%

School 36% · District 36%

▲ 9 pts above state median

Grade 837%

School 37% · District 37%

▼ 5 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 648%

School 48% · District 48%

▼ 4 pts below state median

Grade 752%

School 52% · District 52%

▲ 3 pts above state median

Grade 851%

School 51% · District 51%

▼ 4 pts below state median

Science

Grade 850%

School 50% · District 50%

▲ 8 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 82%

School 2% · District 2%

▼ 22 pts below state median

This schoolFREER 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-income42%Higher-income83%41 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income42%Higher-income89%47 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income49%Higher-income67%18 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income17%Higher-income67%50 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income24%Higher-income78%54 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income40%Higher-income17%23 pp gap