Kilgore Middle, Kilgore TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Kilgore Middle

Kilgore Middle serves students in grades 6 through 8 and enrolls a student population that is roughly evenly divided among White, Hispanic, and Black students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced price lunch, reflecting economic circumstances common in the region.

On state assessments in 2024-25, the school shows uneven performance across subjects. In English language arts, performance is relatively stronger, with solid results in 6th grade and improving through 8th grade. Math proficiency is notably lower, declining from 6th to 7th grade before recovering slightly in 8th. Science results in 8th grade are modest. Social studies performance is the school's softest area, with very low proficiency on the 8th-grade STAAR assessment. A parent may want to look into this further with the school, particularly around the factors behind the steep drop in math performance between 6th and 7th grades and the school's approaches to social studies instruction.

When compared across districts in Rusk County, Kilgore Middle's overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint among the county's districts. This positioning suggests the school faces academic challenges that extend beyond individual subjects to systemic student readiness or resource constraints that warrant conversation with educators.

The school sits within Kilgore Independent School District, which is undergoing significant change. Voters approved a substantial bond package in 2021 that funds a new high school campus opening in fall 2026. The district's property tax rate has declined each year since 2019 due to state tax compression, lowering the M&O portion of the tax bill. These are structural shifts that affect both school capacity and the cost of homeownership in the area. The school itself is located on Baughman Road and draws from a city that is actively developing new housing and industrial parks while anchoring its identity in oil-industry heritage and a walkable historic downtown.

For families considering this area, Kilgore Middle represents a school with room for growth in math and social studies, where English language arts is a relative strength. The broader district context includes aging facilities being replaced and a stable property tax environment.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 626%

School 26% · District 26%

▼ 8 pts below state median

Grade 719%

School 19% · District 19%

▼ 8 pts below state median

Grade 832%

School 32% · District 32%

▼ 10 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 646%

School 46% · District 46%

▼ 6 pts below state median

Grade 741%

School 41% · District 41%

▼ 8 pts below state median

Grade 853%

School 53% · District 53%

▼ 2 pts below state median

Science

Grade 839%

School 39% · District 39%

▼ 3 pts below state median

Social studies

Grade 810%

School 10% · District 10%

▼ 14 pts below state median

This schoolKILGORE 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-income35%Higher-income70%35 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income37%Higher-income53%16 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income48%Higher-income63%15 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income20%Higher-income42%22 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income16%Higher-income33%17 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income29%Higher-income40%11 pp gap