Ft Davis School, Ft Davis TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Ft Davis School

Fort Davis School serves kindergarten through grade twelve in a small, unified campus setting that spans pre-K through high school. The school is part of Fort Davis ISD, a district that sits in Jeff Davis County, an economically challenged region of far West Texas that has faced acute structural funding pressures tied to the state's property-tax recapture system.

The student body is small, with enrollment distributed across all grade levels from pre-K through twelfth grade. Just under half the student population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is split nearly evenly between Hispanic and white students, with a small share of multiracial students and no reported enrollment of Black, Asian, or Native American students. Data on the number of students with IEPs or identified as English learners was not available.

State testing data from this year shows mixed results across grade levels and subjects. In English language arts, the school shows stronger performance in the upper middle grades and eighth grade, where proficiency is notably higher, while earlier elementary grades and sixth and seventh grade show more modest results. Mathematics proficiency is consistently lower across tested grades, ranging from very low performance in fifth grade to stronger results in eighth grade. In science, fifth-grade proficiency is quite low, while eighth-grade performance is more solid. Eighth-grade social studies proficiency falls in the mid-range. Across all tested subjects, the school shows the most consistent proficiency in the uppermost tested grades.

When viewed against the other districts in Jeff Davis County, Fort Davis School's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile. This positioning reflects a broader challenge: the school and district operate in a declining, aging community facing significant economic headwinds. The district itself faced an acute financial crisis driven by property-value appreciation that triggered state "recapture" obligations, threatening closure or consolidation. The district responded by forging partnerships with private early-childhood programs to boost reported enrollment, a move that substantially increased state funding and stabilized the district's survival. For families considering the area, this history carries weight; it signals both the financial fragility of small rural districts and the specific adaptations Fort Davis ISD made to stay viable.

Fort Davis itself is a small mountain community with a compact, walkable historic downtown, modest tourism-related employment, and public anchors such as the McDonald Observatory and Davis Mountains State Park. It is not a growth market; the population has declined over time, and the median age is considerably older than the state average. The housing market shows home values below the state median and declining year-over-year. Beyond the small downtown core, the built environment is rural and spread out, with most families living on acreage in subdivisions. There is no public transit; car-dependence is complete.

The school's high-school pathway and program breadth were not detailed in available data, so a parent would want to ask the school directly about course offerings, AP access, career pathways, or dual-credit partnerships. A graduation rate for the high-school cohort was also not provided. The school does serve all grade levels in one building, which simplifies transitions but also means the academic environment spans a large age range.

For a family considering this school, the fit hinges on circumstances. The small size and unified K-12 setting appeal to parents who value personal relationships and tight-knit community feel. The town itself offers outdoor recreation and a quieter mountain-town lifestyle well-suited to families drawn to rural West Texas. The school's proficiency performance, however, runs below regional average, and the broader context of population decline and economic tightness in the county means services, amenities, and job markets are limited. Prospective residents should also factor in the district's recent financial vulnerability and its dependence on the enrollment-partnership strategy now sustaining it. A parent may want to look into that partnership model and its long-term sustainability directly with the district, as well as inquire about specific high-school course offerings and outcomes data not reflected in the state testing results provided here.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=50%Cohort of 12 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

1,779 schools plotted. 59 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 338%

School 38% · district not reported

▼ 2 pts below state median

Grade 510%

School 10% · District 10%

▼ 31 pts below state median

Grade 629%

School 29% · District 29%

▼ 5 pts below state median

Grade 718%

School 18% · District 18%

▼ 9 pts below state median

Grade 846%

School 46% · District 46%

▲ 4 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 467%

School 67% · District 67%

▲ 18 pts above state median

Grade 540%

School 40% · District 40%

▼ 14 pts below state median

Grade 663%

School 63% · District 63%

▲ 11 pts above state median

Grade 740%

School 40% · District 40%

▼ 9 pts below state median

Grade 869%

School 69% · District 69%

▲ 14 pts above state median

Science

Grade 510%

School 10% · District 10%

▼ 13 pts below state median

Grade 844%

School 44% · District 44%

▲ 2 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 838%

School 38% · District 38%

▲ 14 pts above state median

This schoolFT DAVIS 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 7Lower-income40%Higher-income40%0 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income50%Higher-income100%50 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 7Lower-income20%Higher-income17%3 pp gap