Of the 598 students at Sparta Elementary School in Belton, 418 (70%) weren’t on track for college in the 2022-23 school year, according to Centroplex News’ analysis of STAAR scores from the Texas Education Agency (TEA).
The TEA considers students to be on track for college if they demonstrate mastery of the course content through the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR). Students who meet, but do not master their grade level are “prepared to progress to the next grade,” but not yet on college track.
In the 2022-23 school year, Sparta Elementary School’s student population was made up of 598 students, of which 387 were white, 145 Hispanic, 36 multiracial, 22 African American, and seven Asian students.
Data shows that 44.4% of Sparta Elementary School’s multiracial students (16), 32.8% of its white students (127), 28.6% of its Asian students (2), 18.2% of its African American students (4) and 18.6% of its Hispanic students (27) had “mastered” their grade level that year and were “on track for college and career readiness,” as measured by state academic standards.
In the 2021-22 school year, the TEA noted that 406 Sparta Elementary School students – equivalent to 65% of the student population – were not on the academic path to college eligibility. This contrasts with 2022-23, when the percentage stood at 70%, marking a 5% increase from the previous year.
A recent study by WalletHub classified Texas as one of the least-educated states in the U.S., ranking it 41st out of 50 in educational quality and student outcomes.
Underfunding is a frequently cited challenge facing the state’s school district. According to a 2024 report from the Texas Education Agency, per-pupil funding has not increased since 2019, despite inflation rates rising by more than 20% since then.
“As a result, many districts in our very own Central Texas region are being forced to cut back on essential programs, services, consider school closures, and adopt deficit budgets just to provide students with the education that they deserve,” Hutto ISD Trustee James Matlock stated in an interview.
| School | Total Students | % On College Track |
|---|---|---|
| Belton High School | 1,938 | 13% |
| Belton Middle School | 691 | 18% |
| Belton New Tech High School at Waskow | 166 | 17% |
| Charter Oak Elementary School | 632 | 22% |
| Chisholm Trail Elementary School | 868 | 9% |
| High Point Elementary School | 643 | 18% |
| Joe M. Pirtle Elementary School | 606 | 28% |
| Lake Belton High School | 2,180 | 20% |
| Lake Belton Middle School | 826 | 27% |
| Lakewood Elementary School | 700 | 38% |
| Leon Heights Elementary School | 216 | 20% |
| Miller Heights Elementary School | 317 | 14% |
| North Belton Middle School | 857 | 24% |
| South Belton Middle School | 677 | 9% |
| Southwest Elementary School | 402 | 5% |
| Sparta Elementary School | 598 | 30% |
| Tarver Elementary School | 794 | 21% |
Source: Texas Education Agency.
