John Drugan School, El Paso TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on John Drugan School

John Drugan School is a public elementary and middle school serving prekindergarten through eighth grade in El Paso's far east, within Socorro ISD. The school sits in a growing suburban area shaped by family-oriented newer development on the eastern edge of the city, where the housing market reflects modest home values and rents relative to state benchmarks, making it an accessible option for families seeking suburban space near the expanding fringe.

The school enrolls roughly a thousand students, with the majority identifying as Hispanic. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting moderate-income family composition. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, and the school serves this community with minimal racial diversity overall.

In state testing results, the school's performance shows a mixed profile across subjects and grades. English language arts is a clear strength. Third through eighth grades tested in ELA show mostly strong proficiency, with particularly robust results in grades four and eight, where a substantial majority of students achieved proficiency. Reading and writing support appears to be working well for this school. Math presents a different picture. Proficiency drops as the grade span progresses, beginning at a modest level in third grade and rising to a moderate level by fifth grade, then declining again in the middle grades. By eighth grade, roughly half of students meet the math standard, a softer outcome compared to the strong ELA results. This gap between ELA and math is worth noting; a parent may want to look into further with the school what supports exist for students struggling in mathematics, particularly in the middle grades.

Science results are mixed and vary by grade. Fifth-grade science proficiency is notably low. Eighth-grade science is substantially stronger, suggesting that science instruction may improve with maturity or that the older cohort is achieving better. Social studies in eighth grade sits at about half proficiency, indicating some room for growth in this domain.

When all tested grades and subjects are combined, the school sits in the top quartile relative to other districts in El Paso County on overall proficiency. This strong comparative position reflects the weight of solid ELA outcomes pulling the school above the county median, even though math and science results are mixed.

The school serves all grades from preK through eighth, so no high school transition or graduation data apply. Staffing data, detailed program offerings, attendance rates, and English learner enrollment figures were not available to review, leaving gaps in the fuller picture of school operations and student support systems.

El Paso is a sprawling, car-oriented metro shaped by its binational character on the U.S.-Mexico border. The city has traditional walkable neighborhoods closer to downtown and along the UTEP area, but Drugan's location on the far east reflects suburban expansion outward, where newer single-family homes on larger lots dominate and schools are distributed across attendance zones rather than clustered near a center. The area is served by Sun Metro bus lines and growing infill interest, but daily life is largely vehicle-dependent. Fort Bliss, health services, and the three public school districts are major employers; the cross-border maquiladora economy in Ciudad Juárez shapes broader regional economic flows.

For families in this area, Drugan School offers an accessible, mainstream public option in a growing suburban footprint. The strength in language arts and competitive county standing are assets. The dip in math proficiency, especially in the upper elementary and middle grades, warrants direct conversation with school leadership about curriculum and intervention strategies. Families weighing this school should ask about math support, approaches to English learners if relevant to their child, and what specialized programs or enrichment exist beyond the core tested curriculum.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 345%

School 45% · District 48% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 456%

School 56% · District 52% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Grade 566%

School 66% · District 23% · ▲ 43 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Grade 653%

School 53% · District 43% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 851%

School 51% · District 47% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 359%

School 59% · District 18% · ▲ 41 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Grade 488%

School 88% · District 37% · ▲ 51 pts above district

▲ 39 pts above state median · ▲ 38 pts above county median

Grade 572%

School 72% · District 63% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Grade 675%

School 75% · District 60% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 779%

School 79% · District 59% · ▲ 20 pts above district

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Grade 886%

School 86% · District 64% · ▲ 22 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 538%

School 38% · District 6% · ▲ 32 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 872%

School 72% · District 50% · ▲ 22 pts above district

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 855%

School 55% · District 30% · ▲ 25 pts above district

▲ 31 pts above state median · ▲ 31 pts above county median

This schoolSOCORRO ISD, 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 3Lower-income52%Higher-income75%23 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income87%Higher-income89%2 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income67%Higher-income79%12 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income70%Higher-income83%13 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income77%Higher-income83%6 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income80%Higher-income92%12 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income40%Higher-income54%14 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income53%Higher-income61%8 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income58%Higher-income76%18 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income50%Higher-income60%10 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income36%Higher-income58%22 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income47%Higher-income57%10 pp gap