1
What's the vibe like in the hallways at ERIC DAHLSTROM MIDDLE right now?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
804
Middle
DISTRICT 894 · STATE 643
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·HAYS CISD·NCES 480001008836
Eric Dahlstrom Middle School
3600 F M 967, BUDA, TX 78610 · (512) 295-4717 · Hays County
GRADES 06–08MIDDLE41-RURALREGULAR SCHOOL804 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
16.3:1
49 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 16.1:1 · STATE 14.4:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
13%
101 students
DISTRICT 45% · STATE 65%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other middle schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 245 | 30% |
| Grade 7 | 279 | 35% |
| Grade 8 | 280 | 35% |
Student demographics
53%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 50% · STATE 63% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
STAAR 2025-26 . % Meets Grade Level or AboveReading
71.0%
TX avg 54.5% . +50.0pp since 2020
Mathematics
64.0%
TX avg 45.3% . +41.0pp since 2020
What this means: On the STAAR, Texas's statewide test, about 71 of every 100 students at this school read at grade level and about 64 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Texas schools, those numbers are about 55 and 45. Reading scores are up about 50 points since 2020, while math scores are up about 41 points.
Performance levels, 2025-26
| Subject | Masters Grade Level | Meets Grade Level | Approaches Grade Level | Did Not Meet Grade Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 42.0% | 29.0% | 18.0% | 11.0% |
| Mathematics | 32.0% | 32.0% | 19.0% | 17.0% |
Share of tested students at each STAAR level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.
STAAR results by year
| School year | Reading | Mathematics |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 71.0% | 64.0% |
| 2024-25 | 72.0% | 63.0% |
| 2023-24 | 76.0% | 70.0% |
| 2022-23 | 36.0% | 41.0% |
| 2021-22 | 33.0% | 35.0% |
| 2020-21 | 21.0% | 23.0% |
% Meets Grade Level or Above, all students and all tested grades.
Source: STAAR. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
64.4%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
68.3%
based on TX schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-3.9pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 64% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 68% typical for Texas schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Texas's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Eric Dahlstrom Middle School
Eric Dahlstrom Middle School's state test result (64.4% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eric Dahlstrom Middle School this school | 804 | 12.6% | 64.4% |
| Smithson Valley Middle School SPRING BRANCH | 880 | 15.3% | 69.2% |
| Voss Middle School BOERNE | 764 | 10.2% | 66.8% |
| Boerne Middle South BOERNE | 909 | 18.0% | 69.5% |
| Pieper Ranch Middle School SAN ANTONIO | 1,140 | 13.3% | 70.2% |
| Douglas Benold Middle School GEORGETOWN | 720 | 21.3% | 56.4% |
Matched among Texas middle schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Eric Dahlstrom Middle School ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In Texas | In Hays County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 64.4% | #166 of 1,635 | #1 of 9 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 64.0% | #216 of 1,670 ▲ 8 | #3 of 11 ▼ 1 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 71.0% | #262 of 1,670 ▼ 23 | #5 of 11 ▼ 1 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +29.0pp | #81 of 1,570 | #5 of 11 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 804 | #555 of 1,749 | #9 of 12 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 16.3:1 | #1,181 of 1,542 | #9 of 11 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 53.3% | #775 of 1,543 | #2 of 11 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 12.6% | #1,612 of 1,648 | #9 of 9 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +0.1% | #437 of 437 | #9 of 9 |
Ranked against other public middle schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
804
-102 (-11%) vs 2020
+42% since 2000-01, when it was 566
Student : Teacher
16.3:1
was 19.3:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 804 | 49.3 | 16.3:1 | 13% (101) |
| 2023-24 | 873 | 51.4 | 17.0:1 | 15% (131) |
| 2022-23 | 902 | 53.7 | 16.8:1 | 15% (139) |
| 2020-21 | 906 | 47 | 19.3:1 | 13% (122) |
| 2017-18 | 803 | 45.9 | 17.5:1 | 11% (92) |
| 2015-16 | 951 | 48 | 19.8:1 | 18% (167) |
| 2010-11 | 706 | 40 | 17.6:1 | 21% (151) |
| 2000-01 | 566 | 33 | 17.1:1 | 22% (122) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Eric Dahlstrom Middle School.
Since 2017-18: students unchanged (803 to 804); teachers up 8% (45.9 to 49.3).
About Eric Dahlstrom Middle School
Eric Dahlstrom Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in BUDA, Texas, one of the schools in HAYS CISD. Students in grades 6 through 8 make up the school's enrollment of 804 students. That compares with an average of about 643 students for middle schools in Texas.
District-wide, HAYS CISD has 27 schools and 24,330 students.
At Eric Dahlstrom Middle School, 58% of students are White. Smaller groups are 36% Hispanic and 4% multiracial. Census estimates put Hays County at about 61% White, close to the school's figure. On the diversity index, which measures the chance that two random students are from different groups, Eric Dahlstrom Middle School scores 53%.
Eric Dahlstrom Middle School reports a ratio of 16.3 students per teacher, from 49.3 full-time-equivalent teachers. The school's 16.3:1 compares with an average of 14.4:1 for middle schools in Texas. Lunch program data show 13% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. That rate is below the 46% average among public schools in Hays County.
After adjusting for student poverty, Eric Dahlstrom Middle School lands between the top and bottom 10% of Texas schools. Its average proficiency rate across its state test results is 64.4%; the prediction is 68.3%.
The county, Hays County, is where the school is located. Median household income comes to about $89,097, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 43% of adults, and the poverty rate is about 6%. The county has 63 public schools and about 46,946 students.
Eric Dahlstrom Middle School's nearest public school is Alter Impact Center (about 0.6 miles). Inside a five-mile radius, there are at least 8 other public schools. Ranked by average proficiency, Eric Dahlstrom Middle School places 4th out of 8 schools in its immediate area.
Locale data from NCES put Eric Dahlstrom Middle School in rural territory close to an urban area (Rural: Fringe).
From 906 students in 2020-21, enrollment decreased to 804 by 2024-25. The number of students per teacher dropped from 19.3 to 16.3 over 4 years.
On allk12, people connected to Eric Dahlstrom Middle School can post about athletics, class schedules, and weather closures. Current and former families are welcome to add their experience.
Hays County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
268,638
Census ACS
Median income
$89,097
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
43%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
6%
Below federal line
Schools in county
63
46,946 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in HAYS CISD
- Moe and Gene Johnson High SchoolHigh · 2,870 students
- Jack C Hays High SchoolHigh · 2,304 students
- Lehman High SchoolHigh · 2,128 students
- Dr T C McCormick Jr Middle SchoolMiddle · 1,198 students
- Camino Real Elementary SchoolElementary · 962 students
- Uhland Elementary SchoolElementary · 919 students
Other schools in BUDA
- Moe and Gene Johnson High SchoolHigh · 2,870 students
- Jack C Hays High SchoolHigh · 2,304 students
- Dr T C McCormick Jr Middle SchoolMiddle · 1,198 students
- R C Barton Middle SchoolMiddle · 909 students
- Sunfield Elementary SchoolElementary · 905 students
- Ralph Pfluger Elementary SchoolElementary · 779 students
Nearby schools
- Alter Impact Center0.6 mi · 70
- Moe and Gene Johnson High School0.6 mi · 2,870
- Elm Grove Elementary School0.8 mi · 678
- Carpenter Hill Elementary School0.9 mi · 550
- Buda Elementary School3.7 mi · 564
- Menchaca Elementary School4.1 mi · 699
Frequently asked questions
About Eric Dahlstrom Middle SchoolHow many students attend Eric Dahlstrom Middle School?
Eric Dahlstrom Middle School enrolls approximately 804 students in grades 06-08.
What age range does Eric Dahlstrom Middle School serve?
Eric Dahlstrom Middle School serves students from grade 06 through grade 08.
How many teachers does Eric Dahlstrom Middle School have?
Eric Dahlstrom Middle School employs 49 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 16.3:1.
What is the student diversity at Eric Dahlstrom Middle School?
Student demographics at Eric Dahlstrom Middle School are roughly 58% White, 36% Hispanic, 1% Black, 1% Asian, 4% Two or more.
Who oversees Eric Dahlstrom Middle School?
Eric Dahlstrom Middle School is overseen by HAYS CISD in Hays County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.