Liberty Hill Middle, Killeen TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Liberty Hill Middle

Liberty Hill Middle is a traditional public middle school serving sixth through eighth grade in Killeen, a rapidly growing military-connected city in Bell County dominated by the presence of Fort Cavazos. The school sits in a district that is currently in transition due to enrollment decline and shifting federal military support, which families should weigh carefully.

The school enrolls a substantial number of students, with balanced representation across its three grade levels. The student body is diverse: a little less than half identify as Black, about one-third as Hispanic, with smaller shares of white, multiracial, and Asian students. About two-thirds of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of economic need that reflects Killeen's character as an affordable housing market with steady in-migration tied to military cycling.

On Texas state assessments given in 2025, Liberty Hill's results show a pattern of relative weakness in math and strength in English language arts. In ELA, proficiency rates rise across grades: sixth graders reached about mid-range, seventh graders similar, and eighth graders slightly above. In math, the picture is more challenged: only a quarter of sixth graders met proficiency, about one-quarter of seventh graders, and just over one-third of eighth graders. Science proficiency for eighth grade sat at around two-fifths. Social studies showed a particular soft spot, with only about one-fifth of eighth graders meeting proficiency. Across all tested subjects at the school, only about one-tenth of students achieved the highest mastery level. On the comparison set of districts in Bell County, Liberty Hill's overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint among its county peers. A parent may want to ask the school directly about interventions in math and social studies, and about tutoring and support services available to students who fall below proficiency.

The school is part of Killeen ISD, which announced in October 2025 a major "District Optimization" plan that will reshape the system through 2027-2028. Two middle schools—Eastern Hills and Palo Alto—will close at the end of this school year (2025-2026), and attendance boundaries across the district will shift. Beyond closures, the district plans future consolidations of elementary schools and an expansion of bilingual programs. The district is responding to declining enrollment and an expected reduction in federal Impact Aid funding tied to military families moving through the base. While Liberty Hill itself is not listed for closure, families should be aware that the district is in the midst of significant structural change. The property tax rate for schools has fallen sharply in recent years due to state-mandated compression, which has lowered tax burden for homeowners; for the 2025-2026 school year, the district estimates the average homeowner will see a meaningful annual decrease.

Killeen itself is the second-fastest-growing city in the nation according to recent rankings, driven by military assignment cycles. The city is car-dependent with minimal walkable neighborhoods; most families rely on driving. The region is affordable by Texas standards, with housing values well below both state and national benchmarks and rent similarly lower than national levels. The economy is dominated by Fort Cavazos, with secondary employers including the school district itself, Central Texas College, healthcare systems, and regional defense contractors.

Liberty Hill is a regular public school serving a community with real economic strain and significant diversity. Its testing results indicate a need for targeted academic support, particularly in quantitative subjects. The broader context of district reorganization means families should clarify with the school and district what changes may lie ahead for boundaries, programs, or operations.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 625%

School 25% · District 25%

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 728%

School 28% · District 22% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Grade 838%

School 38% · District 25% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 644%

School 44% · District 43% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 745%

School 45% · District 38% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 851%

School 51% · District 45% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Science

Grade 841%

School 41% · District 34% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 820%

School 20% · District 21% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median · even with county median

This schoolKILLEEN 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-income37%Higher-income58%21 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income40%Higher-income60%20 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income49%Higher-income58%9 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income18%Higher-income42%24 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income25%Higher-income38%13 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income35%Higher-income42%7 pp gap