Waelder School, Waelder TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Waelder School

Waelder School is a small, combined PreK-12 campus serving a rural, working-class town in northern Gonzales County. The school enrolls students across all grade bands on a single city campus just off Highway 90, with all main buildings and the cafeteria occupying one city block. The student body is predominantly Hispanic/Latino, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Economically, families in the town tend toward blue-collar work, and household composition is largely family-based and intergenerational.

On state testing, Waelder School's proficiency results are below the midpoint among districts in Gonzales County. Performance varies meaningfully by grade and subject. In elementary grades (third through fifth), proficiency in both English Language Arts and math clusters in the low range, with several grades showing single-digit proficiency in math. The school's strongest performance appears in eighth grade, where both ELA and math proficiency reach the midpoint or slightly above. Science results in eighth grade also stand out, with a majority of students meeting proficiency. In contrast, fifth-grade science proficiency is quite low. Social studies proficiency in eighth grade is comparatively weaker. These patterns suggest that students may gain ground as they progress to the middle grades, though state testing data for high school is not available and therefore performance across grades nine through twelve cannot be assessed from the data provided. Parents may want to look further into the school's high school pathways and course offerings to understand what academic support is available there.

The school has operated against a backdrop of unresolved facilities challenges. Waelder ISD voters have rejected multiple bond measures since 2021—in November 2021, May 2022, May 2023, and November 2023. District officials have publicly identified ongoing problems including an undersized cafeteria with leaking windows (where students have been eating outside), mold and asbestos concerns in the middle school building, and insufficient classroom space. These facility issues remain unfunded. For families considering enrollment, this signals that the physical plant is aging and that the district faces an ongoing, unresolved capital challenge.

The town itself is small and car-dependent, with most residents driving to work and limited walkability. Daily life is quiet and unhurried; civic anchors include Macario Garcia Park and the public library. The nearest town offering fuller services is about a short drive away. Housing is inexpensive relative to state and national benchmarks, and homeownership rates are high, though the resale market is thin. Population growth in Waelder has been slow and incremental, with development described as deliberate and modest.

High school grades, program breadth, and student services such as special education enrollment and English learner supports are not detailed in the available data. A parent visiting or in conversation with the school would want to understand what course options exist in high school, whether there are pathways toward dual credit or career training, and what academic supports are in place for students struggling with core content in the elementary and middle grades, where proficiency gaps are most pronounced.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=50%Cohort of 15 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

1,779 schools plotted. 59 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 332%

School 32% · District 32%

▼ 8 pts below state median

Grade 47%

School 7% · District 7%

▼ 34 pts below state median

Grade 533%

School 33% · District 33%

▼ 8 pts below state median

Grade 67%

School 7% · District 7%

▼ 27 pts below state median

Grade 79%

School 9% · District 9%

▼ 18 pts below state median

Grade 853%

School 53% · District 53%

▲ 11 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 327%

School 27% · District 27%

▼ 19 pts below state median

Grade 426%

School 26% · District 26%

▼ 23 pts below state median

Grade 525%

School 25% · District 25%

▼ 29 pts below state median

Grade 614%

School 14% · District 14%

▼ 38 pts below state median

Grade 730%

School 30% · District 30%

▼ 19 pts below state median

Grade 853%

School 53% · District 53%

▼ 2 pts below state median

Science

Grade 58%

School 8% · District 8%

▼ 15 pts below state median

Grade 859%

School 59% · District 59%

▲ 17 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 818%

School 18% · District 18%

▼ 6 pts below state median

This schoolWAELDER 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-income14%Higher-income80%66 pp gap