Of the 397 students at Hettie Halstead Elementary School in Copperas Cove, 305 (77%) 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, Hettie Halstead Elementary School’s student population was made up of 397 students, of which 111 were Hispanic, 110 African American, 108 white, 53 multiracial, and 12 Pacific Islander students.
Data shows that 25% of Hettie Halstead Elementary School’s Pacific Islander students (3), 26.4% of its multiracial students (14), 25% of its white students (27), 22.7% of its African American students (25) and 17.1% of its Hispanic students (19) 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 262 Hettie Halstead Elementary School students – equivalent to 74% of the student population – were not on the academic path to college eligibility. This contrasts with 2022-23, when the percentage stood at 77%, marking a 3% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| C. R. Clements/Hollie Parsons Elementary School | 817 | 18% |
| Copperas Cove High School | 2,277 | 16% |
| Copperas Cove Junior High School | 924 | 17% |
| Crossroads High School | 139 | 1% |
| Fairview/Miss Jewell Elementary School | 500 | 25% |
| Hettie Halstead Elementary School | 397 | 23% |
| House Creek Elementary School | 639 | 27% |
| J. L. Williams/Lovett Ledger Elementary School | 686 | 16% |
| Martin Walker Elementary School | 378 | 22% |
| S. C. Lee Junior High | 934 | 19% |
Source: Texas Education Agency.
