The top reported proficiency rate is 39% in English language arts. The lowest is 21% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Jackson Int
Jackson Intermediate is a seventh- and eighth-grade middle school in Pasadena, Texas, serving students in a district working through significant enrollment and budget shifts. The school sits in a large, car-dependent suburban community anchored by petrochemical and industrial activity along the Houston Ship Channel to the north, with residential neighborhoods and commercial corridors spreading south. Pasadena as a place is mature and largely built out, with a majority Hispanic population reflected in local commerce and culture, and public life dispersed across separated school and civic campuses rather than concentrated in a walkable downtown.
Jackson's academic performance shows a sharp divide by grade level. Seventh graders struggled markedly in recent state testing, with proficiency in mathematics only in single digits and English language arts near forty percent. Eighth graders fared considerably better, reaching nearly sixty percent proficiency in math and just under forty percent in language arts. Science and social studies performance in eighth grade lagged further, with proficiency around one-third in science and one-fifth in social studies. Across all tested subjects, the school's overall proficiency index sits below the midpoint among Harris County school districts. The school is performing below where a parent might hope, particularly in seventh-grade math; a parent considering this school or this district may want to explore what happens in the instructional transition between grades, and what support looks like for students entering the building.
The student population is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial majority. About a substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting economic need in the area. Specific counts for students with individualized education plans or identified English learners were not available in the data, leaving a gap in the full picture of how the school serves students with additional support needs. The overall enrollment is moderate in size for a middle school serving two grades.
Pasadena ISD is navigating significant structural change. In May 2026, the board voted to close McMasters Elementary and consolidate its students elsewhere, and to restructure Tegeler Community School into school-within-a-school programs at two high schools. These moves reflect district-wide declining enrollment and budget pressure that will likely reshape which campuses serve which neighborhoods in coming years. Additionally, the district approved a substantial bond package in 2022 to replace aging elementary buildings and upgrade safety and technology across campuses, funded partly through a property tax rate adjustment. For fiscal 2024-25, the district adopted a higher tax rate using available disaster relief authority tied to tornado damage, a lasting tax consideration for homeowners in attendance areas.
The housing market in the zip code around Jackson shows home values modestly below state benchmarks, with median rent moderately priced. The market has modest buyer activity and has softened slightly year-over-year. For families evaluating whether to move into this area or stay, the combination of mature housing stock, industrial character, and school restructuring underway deserve consideration alongside the middle-grade academic performance numbers.
Jackson offers the standard middle school curriculum for its grades without specialized programs or pathways mentioned in the available data. The school serves students as part of a district undergoing consolidation and budget realignment, which means families here should expect change in school configuration and possibly attendance boundaries in the near term.
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