The top reported proficiency rate is 44% in Math. The lowest is 23% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on San Augustine El
San Augustine Elementary sits on South Milam Street in San Augustine, a small East Texas county seat in a rural corner of the state. The school serves prekindergarten through fifth grade and is part of San Augustine ISD, the larger of two districts in San Augustine County. The town itself is a quiet, older community centered on a historic courthouse square, with a compact walkable downtown that has seen preservation-focused revitalization through the Texas Main Street Program. The population has been declining for decades, housing stock is mostly older, and new construction is limited. Healthcare, retail, and government are the main employment anchors, and the school district itself is one of the town's more substantial employers.
The student body is a mix of Black, Hispanic, and white children, with each group making up a meaningful share of enrollment. The school has a notably high share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that most families served here face real economic constraints. Data on English learner and special education populations were not available in the records we had.
Texas assesses students in grades three through five using the STAAR, and San Augustine Elementary's results across the most recent year are below the midpoint among districts in San Augustine County on an overall proficiency index, though not at the bottom of that small two-district comparison set. The picture by subject gives a clearer look at where students land. In reading and language arts, roughly four in ten students in third and fourth grade are scoring at the meets-grade-level bar or above, with fifth grade a bit higher. Math follows a similar pattern, with third grade showing the strongest rates among the three tested grades and fifth grade the weakest. Science, tested only in fifth grade, shows a lower share reaching proficiency than either reading or math. Texas also tracks an "approaches grade level" threshold that sits below full proficiency, and on that measure a majority of students across subjects are reaching at least that floor, suggesting a meaningful group who are close but not yet at the meets standard. The share of students reaching the masters level, the highest performance tier, is quite small across all subjects. Multi-year trend data was not available, so it is not possible to say from this data whether results have been improving, holding steady, or declining. A parent would reasonably want to ask the school directly about instructional supports, intervention programs, and how student progress is tracked over time.
No information on course offerings, extracurriculars, or school programs was available in the data we had. The school serves only elementary grades, so AP courses, dual credit, and a graduation rate are not applicable measures here.
The broader district context is worth noting. San Augustine ISD is publicly reported to have a new high school under active construction, with construction progress documented through 2025. That is a meaningful signal about the district's trajectory and investment in its facilities, even if the funding details could not be independently confirmed within our research.
On housing, homes in the area are priced well below both the Texas and national medians, and the market has seen a modest year-over-year decline. Rent data for the area was not available. For families weighing a move, the combination of lower home prices and a rural setting may be an asset depending on priorities, though the town's aging population and decades of population decline are part of the context any newcomer should weigh. The school district is a significant community institution in a place where public anchors matter.
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