Student enrollment figures appear to have held fast at one of the worst-performing campuses in Dallas ISD.
Despite the hard work of the school’s dedicated teachers, staff, and administrators, H. Grady Spruce High School logged some of the worst student achievement outcomes in the district during the 2021-2022 school year.
According to the campus’ Texas Education Agency accountability (TEA) report, only 21% of students scored at grade level on their STAAR exams for reading. Even worse, only 14% scored at grade level in math, and 24% scored at grade level in science. Dallas ISD’s districtwide at-grade-level scores for those subjects were 43%, 39%, and 37%, respectively.
Additionally, only 62.7% of the school’s graduating Class of 2022 earned a diploma in four years. Dallas ISD’s on-time graduation rate was 81.1%.
TEA’s campus profile for H. Grady Spruce High School indicates there were 1,631 students enrolled at the campus during the 2021-2022 school year. The school’s website claims there are currently 1,637 students enrolled this school year (2023-2024).
Enrollment at H. Grady Spruce High School appears to have bucked a downward trend in enrollment seen at campuses like John Q. Adams Elementary School, which clocked a 12% decrease since the 2021-2022 school year, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
The Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) identified a previous downward trend in enrollment at Dallas ISD that may very well continue as the district continues to log underwhelming student achievement scores and more alternatives for students emerge.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, analysts have observed increased enrollment at classical charter schools in recent years.
“Over the last decade, enrollment in classical charter schools in Texas has increased sevenfold while enrollment in other charter schools has doubled. … Parents are generally satisfied with the quality of instruction and climates of classical charter schools, though they expressed some dissatisfaction with the quality of school facilities and opportunities for athletics,” reads a report by TPPF.
In a poll conducted by The Dallas Express last September, respondents were asked why they thought Dallas ISD was one of the worst-performing school systems in Texas. A plurality of 49% suggested “mismanagement” was the primary cause.
