The top reported proficiency rate is 30% in English language arts. The lowest is 25% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Fred Douglass
Fred Douglass serves prekindergarten through fourth grade in Jacksonville, Texas, a small East Texas city that blends retail commerce with a rural character. The school enrolls a student body that is roughly evenly split between Hispanic and white students, with meaningful representation of Black and American Indian students as well. A very substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of economic need in the community.
Jacksonville's economy centers on healthcare, retail distribution, and light manufacturing. Hospitals and a Walmart Supercenter anchor employment; the city has long marketed itself as the "Tomato Capital of the World," though that historical identity sits alongside modern industry. The historic downtown offers walkable shopping and dining; most of the city spreads in a car-oriented pattern. Housing costs in the area are moderate relative to national benchmarks. The school sits on a separate campus away from the downtown core, part of a district that operates eight schools across the city.
On state testing, Fred Douglass shows results that warrant attention. In English language arts for fourth grade, roughly half of students tested met proficiency. Third-grade ELA results were weaker. In math, fourth-grade proficiency stood at about one-third of students. Third-grade math proficiency was particularly low, with a very small number of students meeting the standard. The school reports one year of data, so trend direction is not visible. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile among Cherokee County districts, according to the county comparison set. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand what instructional support and intervention structures are in place, especially for third grade and for mathematics.
The testing data also shows that Fred Douglass administers some assessments in Spanish (the STAAR in Spanish for third grade) and some in English (the STAAR in English for fourth grade), reflecting the bilingual or dual-language nature of the student population. State data did not include the count of English learners or students receiving special education services, so the school's support infrastructure in those areas is not visible in this profile.
Third through fourth grade represents a critical window for foundational reading and math skills. The disparity between third and fourth-grade results, and between English learner and English-tested cohorts, points to instructional demand that parents should feel free to ask the school about directly. Housing values in the area are accessible for families, and Jacksonville offers the civic anchors of a public library, parks, and outdoor recreation. For a family considering this school, the main question is whether the school's current academic program and intervention capacity match their child's needs, particularly if their child is still building English proficiency or enters below grade level.
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