The top reported proficiency rate is 56% in English language arts. The lowest is 20% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Sheridan El
Sheridan Elementary is a small public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in an unincorporated rural community in southwestern Colorado County, Texas. The school sits on a remote rural campus and is part of Rice Consolidated ISD, which also operates a junior high and high school elsewhere in the district.
The school enrolls a small number of students spread across six grades. Just over half the students are white, with a substantial Hispanic population making up roughly a third of enrollment. A very large share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic profile of the community. The school does not report counts or percentages for students receiving special education services or English learner services, so families seeking information on those supports would need to contact the school directly.
On the 2024-25 state assessment (STAAR), Sheridan's results show mixed performance by grade and subject. In third grade, students demonstrated stronger proficiency in both English language arts and math. By fourth and fifth grades, performance drops notably, particularly in math and science. Fifth-grade science proficiency was especially low. Overall, across all tested grades and subjects, the school's proficiency index places it above the midpoint among the three districts in Colorado County, though this reflects a school-level snapshot rather than a trend, as only one year of data is available.
In English language arts, a majority of students across grades three through five scored at or above the proficient level when considered together. In math, the picture is weaker: while third graders posted solid results, fourth and fifth graders showed considerably lower proficiency. Science was tested only in fifth grade, where a small portion of students met or exceeded proficiency standards. The school's strongest showing was in social studies approaches (a below-proficient category), while mastery rates across subjects and grades remain modest.
Sheridan sits in a community with very low population density, oriented along U.S. Highway 90-A, characterized by ranching, cattle production, an oil and gas field, and recreational tourism centered on a waterpark. The community has no concentrated commercial center, minimal local services, and an aging population. Housing values are below the state benchmark. The local labor market is small, with cattle ranching and the waterpark as the main visible employers alongside the school itself.
Rice CISD has operated the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) in recent school years, providing free breakfast and lunch to all students at no cost, which eliminates the need for meal applications and likely benefits many Sheridan families. However, the district's recent accountability standing merits attention. In 2025 ratings released by the Texas Education Agency, Rice CISD overall earned a C and showed modest improvement, but Rice Junior High was rated F and placed on the state's Public Education Grant list, meaning families with students at that campus have the option to transfer to another district. This is a concrete signal worth understanding if you are considering this school with the expectation that your child will progress through the district's pipeline. The district operates under a District of Innovation plan through 2028, which affects scheduling and staffing flexibility.
A parent may want to look into further detail with the school about the sharp decline in proficiency from third to fourth and fifth grades, as the data suggest a notable shift in performance as students advance. Whether this reflects changes in assessment difficulty, instructional staffing, or student cohort composition would be worth exploring directly with school leadership.
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