The top reported proficiency rate is 32% in Math. The lowest is 23% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on West Side El
West Side Elementary serves children in pre-kindergarten through fourth grade in Jacksonville, a small East Texas city that functions as a regional hub for healthcare, retail, and light manufacturing. The school sits at 1105 College Avenue and enrolls a small population of students across its grade band.
The student body reflects the economic circumstances of its immediate area. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The enrollment is diverse in racial and ethnic composition, with a plurality of Hispanic students, followed by a meaningful share of white students and a smaller Black population.
The school's 2024-25 test results show measurable but uneven academic performance. In grade-4 English language arts, roughly half of students reached proficiency. Grade-3 math proficiency sits at roughly one-third. When teachers assess students against STAAR's full scale, which includes students who "approach" proficiency even if they don't meet it, a clearer picture emerges: across all tested subjects, about two-thirds of students reached at least the "approaches" level. In English language arts alone, that proportion rises to about seven in ten. The same metrics show that only a small fraction of students reached the top performance level, "masters," across subjects.
A parent may want to look further into the gap between the school's proficiency numbers and its "approaches" rates. The gap suggests that many students are in the range just below proficiency, which could mean they respond well to targeted support or would benefit from closer attention to particular skills.
Compared with other districts in Cherokee County, West Side's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile, meaning its tested performance is lower than most of its county peers. This is not uncommon for elementary schools serving high concentrations of economically disadvantaged students; it signals that academic support and consistent instruction are particularly important here.
State testing data is available only for grades three and four. Younger grades in the school are not assessed on state tests, which is standard practice in Texas. The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report.
The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. Housing in Jacksonville's zip code is modestly priced relative to state and national benchmarks. The town itself mixes a historic downtown with a small-town character, anchored by healthcare and retail employment and a growing manufacturing base. Families drawn to Jacksonville often value the compact community feel, nearby outdoor recreation around Lake Jacksonville, and a school system that operates as a straightforward neighborhood institution.
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