North Zulch Elementary/secondary, North Zulch TX

Original Research by School Decision on North Zulch Elementary/secondary

North Zulch Elementary/Secondary is the single campus of North Zulch ISD, a small rural district in west-central Madison County, Texas. The school runs from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade on one site on Fifth Street, meaning a child who enters here in early childhood can stay on the same campus all the way through graduation. For families who value that kind of continuity in a tight-knit setting, it is a defining characteristic of the place.

The community itself is unincorporated, sitting at the intersection of FM 39 and State Highway 21 roughly a short drive west of Madisonville. Rolling pastures and homes on acreage set the tone; commercial activity is sparse, limited to a handful of roadside establishments. Daily life is car-dependent, and residents commute to Madisonville or the Bryan-College Station area for most shopping and professional employment. The school district is itself among the most visible institutional employers in the area. The Volunteer Fire Department functions as another genuine civic anchor, hosting community events and completing a notable community-funded facility expansion in recent years. Publicly reported sources confirm voters also approved a bond for campus facility improvements that included a new commons building connecting the school's structures, with a ribbon cutting held in 2022. For a family evaluating the physical plant, that investment is recent and visible.

Enrollment is small, fitting for a rural 1A district of this type. The student body is predominantly white with a meaningful Hispanic share and a handful of students from other backgrounds. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, so economic need is a significant part of the school's context. Data on English learners and students with IEPs was not available in the data provided.

On Texas STAAR assessments, the picture is mixed and worth looking at carefully grade by grade. The broadest measure, the share of students reaching "approaches grade level" across all tested subjects, is well into the upper range, meaning very few students are scoring at the lowest tier. The "meets grade level" share, which Texas considers the standard of adequate preparation, sits at a solid majority across subjects. ELA proficiency by this measure is somewhat stronger than math. Science and social studies fall in a similar range to ELA at the "meets" threshold. Where the school falls short, and where a parent may want to ask questions, is at the "masters grade level" tier, the highest performance category: across all subjects, only about one in four students reaches that bar. That gap between approaches-level performance and mastery is common in smaller rural schools, but it is a real one.

Looking at individual grade results within the most recent year, math proficiency varies considerably across grades. Third grade math is strong, with most students reaching proficiency, while fourth and fifth grade math proficiency drops to roughly a quarter to a third of students, a dip that stands out. By seventh and eighth grade, math proficiency recovers into the solid majority range. ELA is more consistent across grades, generally in the low-to-mid majority range from fourth through eighth grade. Science proficiency at both tested grades lands right at the midpoint. Social studies at eighth grade is below the midpoint.

Relative to districts in Madison County, the school's overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint of the two-district county set, which provides some useful but limited context given how few schools are being compared.

A graduation rate was not available in the data provided. High school program details, AP or dual-credit course offerings, and advanced pathway information were not included, so it is worth asking the district directly about what upper-grades students can access, particularly for families thinking about college preparation.

Housing in the area runs close to the Texas statewide median, though somewhat below the national median, with modest year-over-year appreciation. No rental price data was available for this area. The combination of rural acreage character and relatively accessible home prices makes this a realistic landing point for families seeking space and quiet, with the understanding that most services require a drive.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=80%Cohort of 24 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

1,779 schools plotted. 59 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 370%

School 70% · district not reported

▲ 30 pts above state median

Grade 425%

School 25% · District 25%

▼ 16 pts below state median

Grade 530%

School 30% · District 30%

▼ 11 pts below state median

Grade 645%

School 45% · District 45%

▲ 11 pts above state median

Grade 768%

School 68% · District 68%

▲ 41 pts above state median

Grade 861%

School 61% · District 61%

▲ 19 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 469%

School 69% · District 69%

▲ 20 pts above state median

Grade 563%

School 63% · District 63%

▲ 9 pts above state median

Grade 662%

School 62% · District 62%

▲ 10 pts above state median

Grade 763%

School 63% · District 63%

▲ 14 pts above state median

Grade 859%

School 59% · District 59%

▲ 4 pts above state median

Science

Grade 550%

School 50% · District 50%

▲ 27 pts above state median

Grade 850%

School 50% · District 50%

▲ 8 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 841%

School 41% · District 41%

▲ 17 pts above state median

This schoolNORTH ZULCH 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 3Lower-income86%Higher-income44%42 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income62%Higher-income80%18 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income68%Higher-income55%13 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income61%Higher-income64%3 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income60%Higher-income57%3 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income79%Higher-income56%23 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income19%Higher-income33%14 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income47%Higher-income0%47 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income44%Higher-income45%1 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income50%Higher-income83%33 pp gap