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Teachers: what resource would make the biggest difference at WALNUT GROVE MIDDLE this year?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
1,012
Middle
DISTRICT 909 · STATE 643
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·MIDLOTHIAN ISD·NCES 483060010630
Walnut Grove Middle School
990 N WALNUT GROVE RD, MIDLOTHIAN, TX 76065 · (469) 856-5700 · Ellis County
GRADES 06–08MIDDLE31-TOWNREGULAR SCHOOL1,012 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
19.7:1
51 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 18.6:1 · STATE 14.4:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
16%
165 students
DISTRICT 29% · 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 | 335 | 33% |
| Grade 7 | 355 | 35% |
| Grade 8 | 322 | 32% |
Student demographics
56%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 63% · 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
74.0%
TX avg 54.5% . +46.0pp since 2020
Mathematics
63.0%
TX avg 45.3% . +38.0pp since 2020
What this means: On the STAAR, Texas's statewide test, about 74 of every 100 students at this school read at grade level and about 63 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Texas schools, those numbers are about 55 and 45. Reading scores are up about 46 points since 2020, while math scores are up about 38 points.
Performance levels, 2025-26
| Subject | Masters Grade Level | Meets Grade Level | Approaches Grade Level | Did Not Meet Grade Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 45.0% | 29.0% | 16.0% | 10.0% |
| Mathematics | 28.0% | 35.0% | 22.0% | 15.0% |
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 | 74.0% | 63.0% |
| 2024-25 | 72.0% | 60.0% |
| 2023-24 | 71.0% | 58.0% |
| 2022-23 | 50.0% | 41.0% |
| 2021-22 | 50.0% | 33.0% |
| 2020-21 | 28.0% | 25.0% |
% 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
59.4%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
66.7%
based on TX schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-7.4pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 59% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 67% 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 Walnut Grove Middle School
Walnut Grove Middle School's state test result (59.4% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walnut Grove Middle School this school | 1,012 | 16.3% | 59.4% |
| Earl & Marthalu Dieterich Middle School MIDLOTHIAN | 989 | 19.6% | 58.6% |
| J W Williams Middle School ROCKWALL | 819 | 19.8% | 65.9% |
| Harpool Middle School LANTANA | 860 | 14.9% | 70.3% |
| Wylie West Junior High School ABILENE | 1,038 | 19.7% | 62.1% |
| Clark Intermediate School SPRING | 913 | 15.3% | 75.3% |
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 Walnut Grove Middle School ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In Texas | In Ellis County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 59.4% | #255 of 1,635 | #1 of 14 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 63.0% | #242 of 1,670 ▲ 52 | #1 of 14 no change |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 74.0% | #219 of 1,670 ▲ 35 | #1 of 14 no change |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +23.0pp | #201 of 1,570 | #1 of 13 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 1,012 | #268 of 1,749 | #2 of 15 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 19.7:1 | #1,506 of 1,542 | #13 of 13 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 56.4% | #646 of 1,543 | #10 of 13 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 16.3% | #1,587 of 1,648 | #14 of 14 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -4.3% | #810 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
1,012
-8 (-1%) vs 2020
+7% since 2010-11, when it was 945
Student : Teacher
19.7:1
was 19.6:1
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 | 1,012 | 51.4 | 19.7:1 | 16% (165) |
| 2023-24 | 988 | 58.2 | 17.0:1 | 22% (215) |
| 2022-23 | 992 | 55.7 | 17.8:1 | 21% (211) |
| 2020-21 | 1,020 | 52 | 19.6:1 | 19% (193) |
| 2017-18 | 1,058 | 57.6 | 18.4:1 | 22% (232) |
| 2015-16 | 1,017 | 56 | 18.2:1 | 20% (202) |
| 2010-11 | 945 | 58 | 16.3:1 | 21% (194) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Walnut Grove Middle School.
Since 2017-18: students down 4% (1,058 to 1,012); teachers down 11% (57.6 to 51.4).
About Walnut Grove Middle School
Walnut Grove Middle School is a large middle school serving families in MIDLOTHIAN, Texas. It covers grades 6 through 8, with a total enrollment of 1,012 students. Enrollment is 57% higher than the average for middle schools in Texas, which is about 643.
Walnut Grove Middle School is one of the 14 schools that make up MIDLOTHIAN ISD (11,356 students in total).
By race and ethnicity, Walnut Grove Middle School is 61% White. It is also 20% Hispanic, 12% Black, and 5% multiracial. For comparison, Ellis County is about 60% White. Walnut Grove Middle School has a diversity index of 56%, compared with 70% for all US public school students.
Walnut Grove Middle School's 51.4 full-time-equivalent teachers put its ratio at 19.7:1. That ratio is over the 14.4:1 average for middle schools in Texas. The school's rate of free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is 16%. That is 35 points below the 51% average for public schools in Ellis County.
Given its share of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, Walnut Grove Middle School would be expected to post about 66.7%. Its actual average proficiency rate on state tests is 59.4%.
Census Bureau estimates for Ellis County show that median household income is about $99,595, 30% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 5% of residents live below the federal poverty line. A total of 83 public schools operate in Ellis County, serving about 46,344 students.
Midlothian Heritage High School is the closest public school, about 0.6 miles away in a straight line. Walnut Grove Middle School is one of several public schools in the area, with at least 8 others within five miles. Among 9 nearby schools that report test results, Walnut Grove Middle School ranks 4th on proficiency.
The school's federal locale classification is Town: Fringe.
Enrollment in 2024-25 was 1,012, close to the 1,020 recorded in 2020-21.
If you have questions about science fairs, picture day, and bus routes at Walnut Grove Middle School, you can post them here. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.
Ellis County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
213,160
Census ACS
Median income
$99,595
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
30%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
5%
Below federal line
Schools in county
83
46,344 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in MIDLOTHIAN ISD
- Midlothian High SchoolHigh · 1,976 students
- Midlothian Heritage High SchoolHigh · 1,760 students
- Earl & Marthalu Dieterich Middle SchoolMiddle · 989 students
- Frank Seale Middle SchoolMiddle · 726 students
- Longbranch Elementary SchoolElementary · 686 students
- Jean Coleman Elementary SchoolElementary · 671 students
Other schools in MIDLOTHIAN
- Midlothian High SchoolHigh · 1,976 students
- Midlothian Heritage High SchoolHigh · 1,760 students
- Earl & Marthalu Dieterich Middle SchoolMiddle · 989 students
- Frank Seale Middle SchoolMiddle · 726 students
- Longbranch Elementary SchoolElementary · 686 students
- Jean Coleman Elementary SchoolElementary · 671 students
Nearby schools
- Midlothian Heritage High School0.6 mi · 1,760
- T E Baxter Elementary School1.2 mi · 594
- Longbranch Elementary School1.8 mi · 686
- Dolores McClatchey Elementary School2.6 mi · 605
- Frank Seale Middle School2.9 mi · 726
- J A Vitovsky Elementary School3.0 mi · 658
Frequently asked questions
About Walnut Grove Middle SchoolWhat is the total enrollment at Walnut Grove Middle School?
Walnut Grove Middle School enrolls approximately 1,012 students in grades 06-08.
What age range does Walnut Grove Middle School serve?
Walnut Grove Middle School serves students from grade 06 through grade 08.
How many students per teacher at Walnut Grove Middle School?
Approximately 19.7:1 students per teacher at Walnut Grove Middle School.
How diverse is Walnut Grove Middle School?
Walnut Grove Middle School reports a student body of 61% White, 20% Hispanic, 12% Black, 0% Asian, 5% Two or more.
Is Walnut Grove Middle School public or private?
Walnut Grove Middle School is a public K-12 school, overseen by MIDLOTHIAN ISD.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.