Amarillo Gazette

Of the 268 students at Premier High School of Amarillo in Lewisville, 236 (88%) "weren't on the academic track to qualify for college in the 2021-22 school year, according to Amarillo Gazette's analysis of test scores from the Texas Education Agency (TEA). To better understand these statistics, it's important to know what TSI (Texas Success Initiative) and CCMR (College, Career, and Military Readiness) are, as they are key indicators of a student's readiness for post-secondary education or career paths.

Primary data on overall student readiness in Premier High School of Amarillo is derived from the TSI's assessments, which evaluate student capabilities in reading, writing, and mathematics. Certain students may qualify for exemptions from these assessments. In contrast, CCMR focuses on preparedness for life post-high school, factoring in TSI scores along with other criteria like dual credits, AP/IB exam results, and more, to provide insights into specific subject performance.

In the 2021-22 school year, Premier High School of Amarillo's student population was made up of 268 students, of which 19 were White, seven Hispanic, and three African American students.

Data shows that 19% of Premier High School of Amarillo 21 African American students, 15% (19) of its 128 white students, and 7% of its 107 Hispanic students had "mastered" their grade level in the 2021-22 school year and were "on track for college and career readiness," as measured by state academic standards.

The TEA says students who meet, but haven't mastered their grade level are "prepared to progress to the next grade," but are not on a college track.

In 2020-21, the TEA noted that 227 Premier High School of Amarillo students - equivalent to 92% of the student population - were not on the academic path to college eligibility. This contrasts with 2021-22, where the percentage stood at 88%, marking a 4% decrease from the previous year.

Despite an improvement after the pandemic, Texas students are still struggling to keep a good performance and reach grade level in schools. In the 2021-22 school year, nearly two-thirds (60%) of students were below grade level in math and 48% did not meet the standards in reading language and arts.

According to Chandra Villanueva, director of policy and advocacy for Every Texan, one of the main causes for this is bad funds management. "Your average homeowner is like, 'Look, I'm paying more and more every single year. Why are my schools still underfunded, overcrowded, my teachers underpaid? Obviously, the schools are doing a bad job with my money,'" she said in an interview. Currently, Texas residents pay more than $70 billion annually in taxes destined to public education.

Gov. Abbott has been calling not only for an end to the main school property tax, but to use public money to support private schools. The initiative is called universal private school choice and, if passed, would allow residents to use taxpayer money to pay for their kids' private education.

"School choice not only improves education for every kid and every parent who chooses that pathway," Abbott said at the Texas Capitol on Oct. 16.

School	Total Students	% On College Track
Premier High School - Corpus Christi	59	100%
Premier High School - Houston - Hobby	20	100%
Premier High School - San Angelo	133	95%
Premier High School Houston Gallery North	135	97%
Premier High School Odessa	97	100%
Premier High School Online	2,470	90%
Premier High School of Abilene	158	86%
Premier High School of Amarillo	268	88%
Premier High School of Arlington	189	90%
Premier High School of Brownsville	130	86%
Premier High School of Comanche/Early	90	81%
Premier High School of Dayton	71	93%
Premier High School of Del Rio	68	90%
Premier High School of Fort Worth	162	96%
Premier High School of Granbury	160	89%
Premier High School of Huntsville	99	85%
Premier High School of Laredo	109	87%
Premier High School of Lubbock	195	85%
Premier High School of Midland	153	91%
Premier High School of Mission	117	83%
Premier High School of New Braunfels	104	82%
Premier High School of Palmview	125	93%
Premier High School of Pflugerville	89	85%
Premier High School of San Juan	100	91%
Premier High School of South Irving	34	87%
Premier High School of Texarkana	155	95%
Premier High School of Tyler	103	93%
Premier High School of Waco	149	93%
Premier High School of Weslaco	69	93%
Premier High School-Austin South Campus	119	82%
Premier High School-Austin Wells Branch	108	92%
Premier High School-Canyon	60	84%
Premier High School-El Paso Eastpointe	124	96%
Premier High School-El Paso Mesa	95	78%
Premier High School-Houston (Champions)	101	87%
Premier High School-San Antonio Ingram	116	85%
Premier High School-San Antonio Windcrest	125	89%
Premier High Schools - Edinburg Career & Technical	130	87%

Source: Texas Education Agency.