The top reported proficiency rate is 38% in English language arts. The lowest is 8% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Rice Jh
Rice JH serves about a small enrollment of middle schoolers in grades six through eight in Altair, a very small unincorporated rural community in southern Colorado County dominated by rice farming and cattle ranching. The district operates from a dispersed campus pattern; the school sits on a shared facility with Rice High School on US-90A between Altair and Rock Island, rather than in a traditional town center.
Academically, the school faces substantial headwinds. On the most recent state testing (STAAR), proficiency rates across all tested subjects and grades fall well below state norms. In English language arts, proficiency is below the midpoint across the three grades, with sixth grade at about a third of students meeting or exceeding grade-level standards, seventh grade roughly the same, and eighth grade slightly higher. Mathematics proficiency is considerably weaker: only a small share of sixth graders meet or exceed standards, fewer still in seventh grade, and a similarly small share in eighth. On eighth-grade science and social studies, fewer than a fifth of students meet or exceed proficiency. Overall, the school's combined proficiency index places it in the bottom tier relative to other districts in Colorado County.
These results align with a concrete accountability signal: in August 2025, Rice Junior High received an F rating from the Texas Education Agency and was placed on the state's Public Education Grant list for 2026-27, which means families at this campus now have the option to transfer to another district. This designation reflects the severity of the proficiency gap and represents a formal state intervention.
The student population is economically challenged: a substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The enrollment is about three-quarters Hispanic, with a meaningful share Black and White, reflecting the broader racial composition of rural Colorado County. Race-ethnicity data indicate substantial diversity; specific counts for English learners and special education students were not available in the data, so a parent may want to look into the school's support structures for those populations directly with the school.
A bright spot for families is the district-wide Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which provides free breakfast and lunch to all students at no charge, eliminating application burden. Rice CISD has continued this program through the current school year.
The school operates under the district's District of Innovation plan for 2023-28, which exempts the district from certain state requirements, typically affecting school calendar and teacher certification flexibility. This signals a district-level effort to operate outside conventional constraints, though its effects on day-to-day instruction and outcomes at Rice JH itself are not detailed in the available information.
A parent considering Rice JH should understand that this is a school in significant academic distress, with proficiency rates that require substantial intervention. The F rating and PEG list placement are not labels a district assigns lightly. The economically disadvantaged student population and rural setting are facts about the community, not judgments; families may find the free-meals program and the smaller school size workable elements. But the testing performance and state accountability status are concrete signals that warrant serious conversation with the school about what improvement efforts are underway, what support structures exist for struggling students, and whether this campus aligns with a student's academic needs.
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