The top reported proficiency rate is 62% in English language arts. The lowest is 43% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Foster Middle
Foster Middle School serves sixth through eighth grade on Martin Luther King Boulevard in Longview, Texas, operating as a charter school within Longview ISD. Its enrollment is large enough to draw students across all three middle grades in roughly equal cohorts, and the student body is predominantly Hispanic and Black, with white students making up a smaller share. The vast majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places Foster firmly in the category of high-poverty middle schools. Data on English learner and special education populations were not available in what was provided.
On the Texas STAAR assessment, the most recent results show a mixed but generally functional picture. Reading and language arts proficiency is the clearest strength: across sixth, seventh, and eighth grade, a clear majority of students scored at or above grade-level expectations, and eighth graders showed the strongest reading results of the three cohorts. Math results are more uneven. Sixth and seventh graders performed above the midpoint on grade-level proficiency, but eighth grade math fell below half, which is a soft spot worth asking the school about, particularly for families with students entering that year. Eighth grade science came in just above half, while eighth grade social studies was the weakest subject, with fewer than half of students scoring proficient. The share of students reaching the Masters level, Texas's top performance tier, sits well below the share reaching basic proficiency in every subject, meaning a smaller fraction of students is demonstrating deep mastery.
Looked at across the full set of districts in Gregg County, Foster's overall proficiency index lands above the midpoint among the county's schools, which is a meaningful position given how many higher-income schools it is measured against.
Only one year of data was available, so it is not possible to say whether scores are improving, holding, or declining. A parent who wants to understand trajectory should ask the school directly about recent trends.
Longview ISD is in the early stages of a major facilities investment. After two failed bond elections, voters approved a substantial bond package in 2024, publicly reported as a generational commitment, the first of its kind in decades. Projects include a new high school, a new early childhood center, a career and technical education building, athletic renovations, an aquatics center, and safety and security upgrades across campuses. Foster Middle families will see the effects of that investment filter through the district over the coming years. The bond carried a modest estimated tax impact on a typical home, and the district's overall tax rate has been trending downward.
The district is also navigating a state-level shift in testing. Texas passed legislation replacing the STAAR in 2025. Under the new system, tests will be shorter, results will return faster, and high school graduation requirements will change slightly, with the English II passage requirement removed, though English I, Algebra, and Biology remain required. This affects current middle schoolers as they move toward high school.
Longview itself is a working-class city anchored by healthcare, manufacturing, chemicals, and logistics. Employers like Eastman Chemical, CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Health System, Longview Regional Medical Center, Trinity Rail, and Komatsu represent the dominant economic sectors. The housing market near the school sits well below both the Texas and national medians, and recent appreciation has been modest, making the area comparatively affordable. Rent-to-income ratios at current asking rents suggest renting is quite manageable relative to income norms. Whether a family buys or rents, the cost of living context is one of the more accessible in the state.
Program offerings beyond the standard curriculum were not available in the data provided. Chronic absenteeism and graduation rates do not apply to Foster Middle directly given its grade band, and this school does not serve high school grades.
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