SHEPHERD MIDDLE

Located at 1401 S BYRD AVE, in SHEPHERD, Texas, SHEPHERD MIDDLE is an intimate middle-grades school that caters to 448 students (grades 6 through 8), part of SHEPHERD ISD. Compared to the state average of about 643 students per school, that is 30% smaller than typical.

Across the 4 schools in SHEPHERD ISD (1,968 students total), SHEPHERD MIDDLE accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Looking at the student body, SHEPHERD MIDDLE records that 47% of students identify as Hispanic, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Other groups include 45% White, 4% Black, 4% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 19% Hispanic, putting the school's mix considerably more Hispanic than the area baseline.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, SHEPHERD MIDDLE has 30 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 14.8:1. That tracks the state average closely. About 73% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), SHEPHERD MIDDLE falls in the UNDERPERFORMING tier of the BeatsExpectations residual. Given its student profile, a typical campus would land near 42.2%; this one comes in at 27.9%, -14.3 points off the demographic line.

Zooming out to the county, San Jacinto County reports that median household earnings sit near $65,364, roughly 16% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 16%. SHEPHERD MIDDLE is one of 8 public schools in San Jacinto County (combined enrollment of about 3,553 students).

SHEPHERD INT is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.4 miles from this campus. 3 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. On composite proficiency, SHEPHERD MIDDLE comes 5th of 7 in the immediate cluster, behind the nearby-schools average of 34.3%.

The campus sits in a small-town setting.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at SHEPHERD MIDDLE has rose 11%, going from 403 students in 2018 to 448 in 2025. Over the same period, the Hispanic share rose from 35% to 47%.

Inside the community feed, posts here usually surface around school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.