Miller Middle, San Marcos TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Miller Middle

Miller Middle serves students in grades six through eight in San Marcos, a college town anchored by Texas State University and positioned on the I-35 corridor between Austin and San Antonio. The school's enrollment is stable across its three grades, with a student body that is substantially Hispanic, a large majority qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, and a mix of white, Black, and Asian students in smaller shares.

The school's most recent state test results show uneven performance across subjects and grades. In English language arts, students perform more consistently: about half of sixth and eighth graders met or exceeded proficiency standards, while about half of seventh graders did the same. In mathematics, results are much weaker. Only a small fraction of sixth graders and eighth graders reached proficiency, while seventh graders performed substantially better, with about half meeting standards. Eighth-grade science performance is moderate, with fewer than half reaching proficiency. Eighth-grade social studies shows the lowest achievement across the school, with fewer than a third proficient. When all subjects and grades are pooled, about two-thirds of students reached the "approaches" level (the lowest state category), while about one-fifth reached the "mastery" level. This profile suggests strength in foundational reading and literacy skills but significant gaps in mathematics and social studies that warrant parent attention. A parent may want to look into what supports the school offers for students struggling in math, particularly in grades six and eight.

San Marcos CISD, the district that operates Miller Middle, is navigating substantial fiscal and enrollment headwinds. The district faces multi-year budget shortfalls driven by flat state per-student funding and declining enrollment. For the 2025-26 school year, the district adopted a notably smaller budget, reduced staffing levels including cutting instructional coaches and elementary nurse assistants, and changed middle school class schedules. These changes reflect resource constraints that affect classroom capacity and support services. Voters approved a property tax increase in November 2024 to help offset shortfalls and generate additional operating funds, a lasting tax change relevant to families in the district. The district also passed a substantial bond in 2023 funding campus improvements and safety infrastructure, which increased property tax rates.

San Marcos itself is one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation, anchored by Texas State University and driven by development along the I-35 corridor. The historic downtown is walkable and mixed-use, with government offices, a Main Street district with restaurants and retail, and riverfront parks along the spring-fed San Marcos River. Large outlet malls, an Amazon fulfillment center, and the university itself are major employers. The city is adding substantial new housing through master-planned communities and multifamily development, and additional retail and student housing are under construction for 2026 openings. Across Hays County's districts, Miller Middle's overall proficiency index sits above the midpoint, positioning the school in the middle tier of county performance rather than at the bottom or top.

The housing market in the 78666 zip code reflects broader San Marcos growth and affordability pressures. Home values have declined slightly year over year, while rents have edged up modestly. Monthly rent and estimated mortgage payments are both moderate relative to national benchmarks, though housing costs remain a meaningful share of household income in the area.

Parents considering Miller Middle should weigh its solid English language arts foundation against its weaker mathematics outcomes, the district's ongoing budget constraints and staffing reductions, and the broader context of rapid growth and change in San Marcos.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 617%

School 17% · District 13% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 756%

School 56% · District 47% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 36 pts above county median

Grade 825%

School 25% · District 24% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 651%

School 51% · District 45% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 749%

School 49% · District 43% · ▲ 6 pts above district

even with state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 851%

School 51% · District 48% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Science

Grade 844%

School 44% · District 40% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median · even with county median

Social studies

Grade 831%

School 31% · District 30% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

This schoolSAN MARCOS CISD, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income39%Higher-income68%29 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income39%Higher-income65%26 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income36%Higher-income72%36 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income13%Higher-income24%11 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income35%Higher-income81%46 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income15%Higher-income43%28 pp gap