Original Research by School Decision on Paris H S
Paris High School is a traditional public high school serving grades 9-12 in Paris, a small county-seat city in northeast Texas anchored by a historic downtown and a manufacturing-driven regional economy. The school's most recent state assessment results, from 2024-25, show a student body performing at broadly middling levels across core subjects, with notable strength in science and mathematics approaches but weaker proficiency in English language arts.
The school enrolls students of mixed racial and ethnic backgrounds: roughly a third are Black, a quarter Hispanic, about a third White, and smaller shares from other groups. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing this as a school serving a lower-income student population. The student body is also relatively large for a rural high school, though not exceptionally so for the grade band.
Academically, the results point to uneven strength. In science and social studies, the school shows high rates of students reaching the "approaches" proficiency level (the base standard), suggesting broad engagement with core content. Mathematics is the school's relative strongpoint in the "approaches" measure as well. However, when looking at students meeting or mastering grade-level standards, the picture narrows considerably. Only about half of students across all tested subjects meet the grade-level standard, and only about a sixth achieve mastery. In English language arts specifically, the "approaches" rate falls noticeably—less than two-thirds of students—and the "meets" rate drops to roughly half. A parent may want to look into further details with the school about English instruction, support pathways for struggling readers and writers, and intervention structures in place.
The school sits on South Collegiate Drive near the southern edge of the city, on a campus-style location rather than embedded in downtown. This is typical of rural Texas high schools, where campus facilities are often road-accessed and separated from the civic core. The town itself is stable and modestly affordable, with a housing market anchored by single-family homes and economic activity driven by manufacturing, healthcare, and regional services. Paris Junior College sits in the same city and serves as a post-secondary option for local students.
State testing data was the only academic performance information available. Graduation rate, chronic absenteeism, and other outcomes were not provided in the data. The school's broader program offerings, staffing, and course depth are also not detailed in the available records, so parents interested in AP courses, dual-credit pathways, career and technical education, or other specialized programs should contact the school directly. The comparison to other districts in Lamar County could not be made because the data required for that comparison was not available at the school level.
See more original research from School Decision →