Gonzales County schools get accountability report cards for 2024, 2025

Gonzales County school districts brought home two Bs and a C on their accountability ratings report cards for the 2024-2025 school year, according to information released by the Texas Education Agency on Friday, Aug. 15.

That was a marked improvement from the one B, one C and an F that was announced for the 2023-24 year also on Friday, Aug. 15 by the TEA.

School ratings for 2023-24 had been delayed a year due to a lawsuit, but were cleared for release at the same time as the 2024-25 ratings. This marks the second and third year that more stringent, updated standards for the accountability ratings — first updated in 2022-23 — have been taken into account.

Gonzales ISD

Gonzales ISD was rated a C as a district overall for both 2023-24 and 2024-25, with the district receiving a score of 75 out of 100 for 2023-24 and a 76 out of 100 for 2024-25. Gonzales High School received a rating of a 75, or C, in 2024 and improved to an 81, or B, in 2025. Gonzales Junior High had a 69, or D, rating in 2024 and improved to a 71, or C, in 2025.

North Avenue saw a nine-point decrease, however, from an 83, or B, in 2024 to a 74, or C, in 2025. Gonzales Primary Academy and Gonzales Elementary School share the rating of Gonzales North Avenue each year as there are no STAAR assessments in pre-K through second grade.

“Gonzales ISD looks forward to seeing progress and improvement on all campuses during the 2025-26 school year which is off to a strong start,” said GISD Chief Academic Officer Joy Philpott.

Nixon-Smiley CISD

As a district, Nixon-Smiley Consolidated ISD saw its rating remain the same in both 2024 and 2025, receiving an 81, or B, for both years.

Nixon-Smiley Elementary School saw a dramatic turnaround since the first year of the ratings in 2023, when it received a 69, or D. In 2024, they improved by seven points to a 76, or C, and in 2025, they scored an 81 — marking a 14-point jump in just two years.

Nixon-Smiley Middle School remained at a B for all three years, going from an 82 in 2023 to an 81 in 2024 and then improving to an 84 in 2025. Nixon-Smiley High School did see a drop of five points from 2023, when it had an 84, falling to 82 in 2024 and to 79, which is a C, in 2025.

“The Texas Education Agency has released its 2025 A–F accountability ratings, and Nixon-Smiley CISD is proud to share that we earned a B. The rating reflects the dedication and heart that teachers and staff bring to the classroom each and every day,” said Nixon-Smiley CISD Superintendent Jeff VanAuken. “Our teachers go above and beyond for our students by embracing instructional changes that directly impact individual student achievement instead of just being focused on ‘passing the STAAR test.’ This rating shows the strength of their hard work, but the real success is seen in our kids' enthusiasm, growth, and achievements. We couldn't be prouder of the way our staff pour into our students. Not just academically, but they also provide an enormous amount of social and emotional support as well!

“This success is also the result of teamwork across the district — from central administration to campus leaders to classroom teachers — all working together with a shared commitment to students.

While the District will continue working toward even greater achievement, this accomplishment belongs to the teachers, staff, students, and families who make the District such a special community.”

Waelder

No district in Gonzales County had as big a swing as Waelder ISD, however. After scoring a 65, or D, in 2023, the district struggled in 2024 and registered an F at a 54.

“After the struggles of 2022-23 and 2023-24, when students that had suffered academic losses during the pandemic were coming into the grade levels that participate in STAAR, we were determined to address the learning deficits,” Waelder Superintendent Ron Lilie said. “This included bringing in instructional coaches, reviewing curriculum, re-building the way we present ideas and learning to the students, and much more. It required us to get out of what we were comfortable with, and really focus on educating students in a way that positively affected outcomes.”

The move paid off big time as Waelder improved its district (and campus) score to an 80 for a B in 2025 — a jump of 26 points from the previous year!

“We were able to move the needle in a big way, from the realm of "D's" and "F's" to a strong "B" rating,” Lilie said. “This includes areas that would otherwise be considered distinctions, such as Science, Improvement in the top 25%, and Career, College and Military Readiness, CCMR. We look to continue on this trajectory.

“I want to thank everyone that had a hand in this turn around process. I am very proud of our staff for being willing to do the work it takes to see this type of result in one year.”

Parents can read more about their district and school ratings by going to https://txschools.gov/?lng=en.

What does each letter grade mean in Overall Performance?

Districts earn an "A" (90–100) for exemplary performance when they serve most students well, encouraging high academic achievement and/or appropriate academic growth for almost all students. Most students will be prepared for eventual success in college, a career, or the military.

Districts earn a "B" (80–89) for recognized performance when they serve many students well, encouraging high academic achievement and/or appropriate academic growth for most students.

Districts earn a "C" (70–79) for acceptable performance when they serve many students well, but need to provide additional academic support to many more students.

Districts earn a "D" (60–69) for performance that needs improvement by serving too few students well. Not enough students are making adequate academic progress for eventual success in college, a career, or the military.

Districts earn an "F" (below 60) for unacceptable performance by serving only a small number of students well. Most students need more academic support for eventual success in college, a career, or the military.

How is Overall Performance calculated?

Overall grades for districts are calculated using a proportionality method that determines how much each campus grade impacts the district rating based on the number of students enrolled in grades 3-12 at each campus. After determining each campus domain score and weight, the district domain score is calculated by adding the points earned by each campus. After determining the district score in each domain, the overall rating is based on the performance of the three key areas or domains by using the higher score between how much students know (Student Achievement) or how much better students are doing than last year or than peers in similar schools (School Progrss). We then consider whether performance gaps exist among different groups of students (Closing the Gaps).

This design reflects a commitment to recognizing high student achievement and the impact of highly effective educators while maintaining focus on the students most in need.