1
Enrollment
456
Middle
DISTRICT 563 · STATE 643
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·PALESTINE ISD·NCES 483405003784
Palestine Junior High School
233 BEN MILAM DR, PALESTINE, TX 75801 · (903) 731-8008 · Anderson County
GRADES 07–08MIDDLE32-TOWNTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL456 STUDENTS
B-
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 45% of Texas public middle schools
- C+Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- BBeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- B-Three-year trend Change in reading and math proficiency over the last three test years.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Texas public middle schools
Student : Teacher
12.8:1
36 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 14.6:1 · STATE 14.4:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
80%
365 students
DISTRICT 82% · 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 7 | 225 | 49% |
| Grade 8 | 231 | 51% |
Student demographics
68%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 68% · 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
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Palestine Junior High School→Palestine High School
Feeds from
Based on grade levels within PALESTINE ISD. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
STAAR 2025-26 . % Meets Grade Level or AboveReading
47.0%
TX avg 54.5% . +13.0pp since 2020
Mathematics
44.0%
TX avg 45.3% . +7.0pp since 2020
What this means: On the STAAR, Texas's statewide test, about 47 of every 100 students at this school read at grade level and about 44 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Texas schools, those numbers are about 55 and 45. Reading scores are up about 13 points since 2020, while math scores are up about 7 points.
Performance levels, 2025-26
| Subject | Masters Grade Level | Meets Grade Level | Approaches Grade Level | Did Not Meet Grade Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 21.0% | 26.0% | 26.0% | 27.0% |
| Mathematics | 13.0% | 31.0% | 25.0% | 31.0% |
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 | 47.0% | 44.0% |
| 2024-25 | 41.0% | 42.0% |
| 2023-24 | 49.0% | 45.0% |
| 2022-23 | 36.0% | 35.0% |
| 2021-22 | 39.0% | 37.0% |
| 2020-21 | 34.0% | 37.0% |
% 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
38.5%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
39.5%
based on TX schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-1.0pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 39% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 40% 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 Palestine Junior High School
Palestine Junior High School's state test result (38.5% proficient) is higher than 4 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palestine Junior High School this school | 456 | 80.0% | 38.5% |
| Center Middle School CENTER | 496 | 82.7% | 35.8% |
| Mexia Junior High School MEXIA | 367 | 81.2% | 27.4% |
| Lamar Middle School TEMPLE | 553 | 76.5% | 37.1% |
| Story Intermediate School PALESTINE | 670 | 81.0% | 37.3% |
| Chapel Hill Junior High School TYLER | 426 | 81.7% | 39.6% |
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 Palestine Junior High School ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In Texas | In Anderson County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 38.5% | #1,012 of 1,635 | #4 of 6 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 44.0% | #764 of 1,670 ▲ 36 | #3 of 6 ▲ 1 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 47.0% | #1,180 of 1,670 ▲ 181 | #4 of 6 no change |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +10.0pp | #796 of 1,570 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 456 | #1,160 of 1,749 | #2 of 6 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 12.8:1 | #312 of 1,542 | N/A |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 67.6% | #249 of 1,543 | N/A |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 80.0% | #515 of 1,648 | #2 of 6 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -9.5% | #643 of 942 | N/A |
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
456
-53 (-10%) vs 2020
-27% since 1990-91, when it was 624
Student : Teacher
12.8:1
was 10.8:1
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 | 456 | 35.5 | 12.8:1 | 80% (365) |
| 2023-24 | 440 | 39.3 | 11.2:1 | 78% (345) |
| 2022-23 | 493 | 46.5 | 10.6:1 | 78% (386) |
| 2020-21 | 509 | 47 | 10.8:1 | 72% (365) |
| 2017-18 | 504 | 46.8 | 10.8:1 | 71% (356) |
| 2015-16 | 479 | 44 | 10.9:1 | 76% (363) |
| 2010-11 | 657 | 50 | 13.1:1 | 71% (468) |
| 2000-01 | 500 | 38 | 13.2:1 | 56% (279) |
| 1990-91 | 624 | 57 | 10.9:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Palestine Junior High School.
Since 2017-18: students down 10% (504 to 456); teachers down 24% (46.8 to 35.5).
About Palestine Junior High School
A small middle school in PALESTINE, Texas, Palestine Junior High School is part of PALESTINE ISD. The school enrolls 456 students in grades 7 through 8. On average, middle schools in Texas enroll around 643, and this school is 29% below that mark.
The 6 schools of PALESTINE ISD, including Palestine Junior High School, enroll 3,186 students.
The biggest share of students at Palestine Junior High School, 44%, is Hispanic. The remaining shares are 28% White, 23% Black, and 3% multiracial. Census estimates put the Hispanic share of Anderson County's population at about 20%. On the diversity index, which measures the chance that two random students are from different groups, Palestine Junior High School scores 68%.
The school has 35.5 full-time-equivalent teachers and a ratio of 12.8 students per teacher. Middle schools in Texas have an average ratio of 14.4:1. The school reported 80% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024-25. Public schools in Anderson County average 68%.
On the allk12 Grade, Palestine Junior High School lands at B-, ahead of 45% of Texas public middle schools.
The allk12 BeatsExpectations score for Palestine Junior High School is -1.0 points: 38.5% actual, 39.5% predicted.
For the population of Anderson County, median household income comes to about $62,068, 15% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 14% of people live in poverty. Anderson County's 26 public schools enroll about 8,071 students and include Palestine Junior High School.
Palestine High School is the nearest public school to Palestine Junior High School, about 0.1 miles away. Within five miles of Palestine Junior High School, there are at least 8 other public schools. On proficiency, Palestine Junior High School is behind the 40.7% nearby average, ranking 4th of 6.
The National Center for Education Statistics classifies the school's location as Town: Distant, meaning it is in a town some distance from an urbanized area.
The 2020-21-to-2024-25 change in enrollment was a 10% decrease, from 509 to 456. Staffing shifted too: the ratio moved from 10.8:1 to 12.8:1.
On allk12, people connected to Palestine Junior High School can post about pickup and drop-off, after-school programs, and teacher feedback. Current and former families are welcome to add their experience.
Anderson County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
58,439
Census ACS
Median income
$62,068
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
15%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
14%
Below federal line
Schools in county
26
8,071 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in PALESTINE ISD
- Palestine High SchoolHigh · 1,003 students
- Story Intermediate SchoolMiddle · 670 students
- Southside Elementary SchoolElementary · 442 students
- Northside Primary SchoolElementary · 400 students
- Washington Early Childhood CenterElementary · 215 students
Other schools in PALESTINE
- Palestine High SchoolHigh · 1,003 students
- Story Intermediate SchoolMiddle · 670 students
- Southside Elementary SchoolElementary · 442 students
- Westwood High SchoolHigh · 405 students
- Westwood Elementary SchoolElementary · 404 students
- Northside Primary SchoolElementary · 400 students
Nearby schools
- Palestine High School0.1 mi · 1,003
- Southside Elementary School1.3 mi · 442
- Story Intermediate School2.8 mi · 670
- Washington Early Childhood Center3.3 mi · 215
- Northside Primary School3.8 mi · 400
- Ut Tyler University Academy at Palestine3.9 mi · 263
Frequently asked questions
About Palestine Junior High SchoolWhat is the total enrollment at Palestine Junior High School?
Palestine Junior High School enrolls approximately 456 students in grades 07-08.
Is Palestine Junior High School an elementary, middle, or high school?
Palestine Junior High School is a middle school covering grades 07-08.
How many teachers does Palestine Junior High School have?
Palestine Junior High School employs 36 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 12.8:1.
How diverse is Palestine Junior High School?
Palestine Junior High School reports a student body of 28% White, 44% Hispanic, 23% Black, 1% Asian, 3% Two or more.
Who oversees Palestine Junior High School?
Palestine Junior High School is overseen by PALESTINE ISD in Anderson County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.