Enrollment
239
Combined
STATE 485
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·WELLS ISD·NCES 484494005116
Wells School
160 RUSK AVE, WELLS, TX 75976 · (936) 867-4400 · Cherokee County
GRADES PK–12COMBINED42-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL239 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
11.3:1
21 FTE teachers
STATE 11.7:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
66%
157 students
STATE 65%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other combined schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 19 | 8% |
| Kindergarten | 14 | 6% |
| Grade 1 | 16 | 7% |
| Grade 2 | 15 | 6% |
| Grade 3 | 21 | 9% |
| Grade 4 | 14 | 6% |
| Grade 5 | 10 | 4% |
| Grade 6 | 15 | 6% |
| Grade 7 | 18 | 8% |
| Grade 8 | 15 | 6% |
| Grade 9 | 19 | 8% |
| Grade 10 | 26 | 11% |
| Grade 11 | 14 | 6% |
| Grade 12 | 23 | 10% |
This year's kindergarten class (14) is 7% smaller than its 8th grade class (15).
Student demographics
40%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
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
41.0%
TX avg 54.5% . +12.0pp since 2020
Mathematics
20.0%
TX avg 45.3%
What this means: On the STAAR, Texas's statewide test, about 41 of every 100 students at this school read at grade level and about 20 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Texas schools, those numbers are about 55 and 45. Reading scores are up about 12 points since 2020.
Performance levels, 2025-26
| Subject | Masters Grade Level | Meets Grade Level | Approaches Grade Level | Did Not Meet Grade Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 15.0% | 26.0% | 34.0% | 25.0% |
| Mathematics | 2.0% | 18.0% | 43.0% | 37.0% |
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 | 41.0% | 20.0% |
| 2024-25 | 46.0% | 18.0% |
| 2023-24 | 54.0% | 23.0% |
| 2022-23 | 56.0% | 14.0% |
| 2021-22 | 25.0% | 20.0% |
| 2020-21 | 29.0% | N/A |
% 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
32.8%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
45.6%
based on TX schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-12.8pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 33% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 46% 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 Wells School
Wells School's state test result (32.8% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wells School this school | 239 | 65.7% | 32.8% |
| Kopperl School KOPPERL | 191 | 67.0% | 34.4% |
| North Zulch Elementary/Secondary NORTH ZULCH | 333 | 65.2% | 58.4% |
| Newcastle School NEWCASTLE | 227 | 62.1% | 55.6% |
| McLean School MCLEAN | 182 | 68.7% | 41.5% |
| Lefors School LEFORS | 173 | 66.5% | 32.5% |
Matched among Texas K-12 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 Wells School ranks
Among K-12 schools| Measure | This school | In Texas |
|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 32.8% | #170 of 211 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 20.0% | #198 of 218 ▲ 4 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 41.0% | #173 of 218 ▼ 17 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest drop first | -4.5pp | #20 of 134 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 239 | #114 of 280 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 11.3:1 | #59 of 141 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 40.0% | #90 of 144 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 65.7% | #80 of 226 |
Ranked against other public K-12 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
239
+122 (+104%) vs 2020
+104% since 1990-91, when it was 117
Student : Teacher
11.3:1
was 10.6:1
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 | 239 | 21.2 | 11.3:1 | 66% (157) |
| 2023-24 | 242 | 24 | 10.1:1 | 69% (166) |
| 2022-23 | 259 | 22.4 | 11.6:1 | 66% (172) |
| 2020-21 | 117 | 11 | 10.6:1 | 64% (75) |
| 2017-18 | 123 | 11.9 | 10.4:1 | 53% (65) |
| 2015-16 | 109 | 12 | 9.1:1 | 63% (69) |
| 2010-11 | 102 | 11 | 9.3:1 | 63% (64) |
| 2000-01 | 74 | 9 | 8.2:1 | 36% (27) |
| 1990-91 | 117 | 21 | 5.6:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Wells School.
Since 2017-18: students up 94% (123 to 239); teachers up 78% (11.9 to 21.2).
About Wells School
Federal records list Wells School as a combined-grade school in WELLS, Texas. The school's 239 students are in pre-K through 12. Statewide, combined schools in Texas average about 485 students each.
For district matters, Wells School falls under WELLS ISD.
By race and ethnicity, Wells School is 76% White. After that, the student body is 11% Hispanic, 8% Black, and 5% multiracial. Census figures show Cherokee County is about 65% White. Wells School has a diversity index of 40%, compared with 70% for all US public school students.
At Wells School, 21.2 full-time-equivalent teachers work with students, a ratio of about 11.3:1. Across combined schools in Texas, the average ratio is about 11.7:1. Students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch make up 66% of enrollment. Across public schools in Cherokee County, the average is about the same, 66%.
When test results are adjusted for free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, Wells School is 12.8 points below its prediction. Actual: 32.8%. Predicted: 45.6%.
Federal survey data for Cherokee County show that median household income is about $61,261, 19% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 15% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Wells School is among the 24 public schools in Cherokee County.
The school nearest to Wells School is Central Elementary School, at a distance of about 7.5 miles. Counting only straight-line distance, 3 other public schools are within ten miles. Of the 8 nearby schools with scores, including this one, Wells School is 8th on average proficiency.
Wells School is in rural territory some distance from an urban area, a location NCES labels Rural: Distant.
The school's enrollment figures are 117 for 2020-21 and 239 for 2024-25. Differences this large can reflect a change in grade levels, a boundary change, or a merger.
Families, students, and staff can use this page to discuss sports schedules, lunch menus, and spirit week at Wells School. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.
Cherokee County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
51,886
Census ACS
Median income
$61,261
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
19%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
15%
Below federal line
Schools in county
24
10,948 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other Wells schools
One other US public school is named Wells. Wells School is the largest of the 2.
- WELLS SCHOOLWELLS, NY · 128 students
Nearby schools
- Central Elementary School7.5 mi · 633
- Central Junior High School8.5 mi · 451
- Central High School8.5 mi · 408
- Douglass School12.7 mi · 424
- W H Bonner Elementary School13.4 mi · 621
- W F Peavy Primary School13.5 mi · 683
Frequently asked questions
About Wells SchoolHow large is Wells School?
Wells School enrolls approximately 239 students in grades PK-12.
What grades does Wells School serve?
Wells School serves grades PK-12.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wells School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Wells School is approximately 11.3:1 (21 FTE teachers).
How diverse is Wells School?
Wells School reports a student body of 76% White, 11% Hispanic, 8% Black, 5% Two or more.
Who oversees Wells School?
Wells School is overseen by WELLS ISD in Cherokee County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.