Commander William C Mccool Academy, Lubbock TX

Original Research by School Decision on Commander William C Mccool Academy

Commander William C McCool Academy is a middle school serving grades 6 through 8 in Lubbock, with an enrollment of around four hundred students. The school draws from neighborhoods across the district, with a student body that is majority Hispanic, followed by a substantial white population and smaller shares of Black, Asian, and other groups. A bit more than half the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting moderate economic pressure in the school's catchment areas.

Academically, McCool sits in the top quartile among Lubbock County districts on overall proficiency across tested subjects. The school's English/language arts results are notably stronger than math. In grade 6 ELA, about four-fifths of students scored at proficient or above, and ELA proficiency in grades 7 and 8 holds steady around two-thirds to two-thirds-and-a-half. By contrast, math proficiency is lower: grade 6 and grade 8 math both show about three-fifths of students proficient or above, suggesting math instruction or student readiness may be areas the school wants to examine. Science data is limited because the state tests only grade 8, and the school tested very few students in science, making that result less reliable. Social studies proficiency in grade 8 is notably weak, with only about one-quarter of students meeting the standard. The school reports strong rates at the "approaches" level in both ELA and math, meaning most students are making progress, but mastery rates in both subjects sit around just over one-quarter, indicating that while students are advancing, depth of understanding remains an area for growth.

The school sits within Lubbock ISD, which is navigating significant structural changes. The district closed one elementary school and consolidated two others for the 2025-26 school year and has published formal criteria for future closures based on enrollment, facility use, and per-pupil cost. More positively, voters approved a major bond in May 2025 that will fund three new elementary schools, middle school additions, expanded career and technical education, and safety upgrades, with new facilities opening for the 2028-29 school year and no increase to the current school tax rate.

Lubbock itself is a mid-sized city anchored by Texas Tech University, healthcare systems, and agriculture. It has grown modestly but steadily, with downtown in the midst of revitalization and new housing moving in alongside older neighborhoods and newer suburban-style development on the edges. Housing affordability is relatively good compared to state and national benchmarks. The city is car-dependent overall but has pockets of walkability near downtown and near university areas. Parks, the public library system, and the Citibus transit system serve daily life, though transit is limited outside central routes.

For families considering McCool, the key questions center on whether the school's middle-tier math results and weak social studies performance match their student's needs, and whether the district's ongoing consolidations and the long-term bond-funded rebuilding plans align with their family's stability and timeline in the area.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 663%

School 63% · District 31% · ▲ 32 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

Grade 862%

School 62% · District 38% · ▲ 24 pts above district

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 678%

School 78% · District 52% · ▲ 26 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 767%

School 67% · District 48% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 868%

School 68% · District 51% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 825%

School 25% · District 21% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median · even with county median

This schoolLUBBOCK 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-income71%Higher-income88%17 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income62%Higher-income74%12 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income57%Higher-income78%21 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income56%Higher-income73%17 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income55%Higher-income70%15 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income57%Higher-income69%12 pp gap