KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys

Q: Is KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys a good school?

KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys ranks 1631 st of 2361 Texas middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys is a public charter middle school in Houston, Texas, serving 345 students in grades 5-8, with a predominantly Hispanic (66.96%) and African American (31.3%) student population and a high percentage (91.88%) of economically disadvantaged students.

Despite being part of the KIPP Texas Public Schools district, KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys consistently underperforms the state and district averages on STAAR tests, with proficiency rates ranging from 17.24% to 46.99% in reading and 17.24% to 31.33% in other core subjects. The school's performance has been relatively stagnant over the past three years, though it does perform better on STAAR tests for African American and English Language Learner (ELL) students compared to other subgroups. The school's dropout rate, ranging from 0.0% to 1.1% over the past four years, is also higher than the state average.

When compared to nearby schools, KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys performs similarly or slightly better than its neighboring KIPP Voyage Academy For Girls, but both schools significantly underperform the state and district averages. Other nearby public schools, such as Cunningham Middle and Key Middle, also struggle with academic performance. However, Idea Lake Houston College Preparatory, a public charter school located about 4 miles away, outperforms KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys on STAAR tests, particularly in reading and mathematics.

Detail:

Public, Charter 5-8

9636 Mesa Dr
Houston, TX 77078

(832) 230-0567

District: KIPP Texas Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
1631^st of 2,361 Texas Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,238

Student/teacher ratio: 14.9

Number of students: 345

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

67.0%

African American:

31.3%

Two or more races:

1.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 91.9%

See top rated Texas middle schools

Compare KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys ranks worse than 69.1% of middle schools in Texas. It also ranks 12^th among 21 ranked middle schools in the KIPP Texas Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 33.06. (See more...)

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (67%), African American (31.3%), two or more races (1.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 91.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys is 14.9, which is the 3^rd best among 21 middle schools in the KIPP Texas Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys employs 23 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys is $10,238, which is the 8^th highest among 21 middle schools in the KIPP Texas Public Schools District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys 1631^st of 2361 Texas public middle schools. (See KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys in the ranking list.)

KIPP Texas Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks KIPP Texas Public Schools 717^th of 968 Texas school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys

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Rank History for all students at KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TX State Percentile
2021	29.27	1606^th	2252	28.7%
2022	32.69	1543^rd	2254	31.5%
2023	31.78	1669^th	2330	28.4%
2024	33.06	1631^st	2361	30.9%

See the entire list of Texas Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TX State Percentile
2021	38.09	977^th	1592	38.6%
2022	50.79	623^rd	1643	62.1%
2023	49.03	755^th	1720	56.1%

See the entire list of Best Texas Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TX State Percentile
2021	22.79	1594^th	1712	6.9%
2022	36.29	1104^th	1757	37.2%
2023	50.36	665^th	1815	63.4%

See the entire list of Best Texas Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TX State Percentile
2021	40.29	1287^th	2172	40.7%
2022	41.43	1287^th	2220	42.0%
2023	37.32	1465^th	2251	34.9%

See the entire list of Best Texas Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for At Risk students at KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TX State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	37.28	1332^nd	2118	37.1%
2022	49.15	909^th	2182	58.3%

See the entire list of Best Texas Middle Schools for At Risk Students!

Rank History for Male students at KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TX State Percentile
2021	32.88	1449^th	2168	33.2%
2022	35.09	1470^th	2228	34.0%
2023	32.69	1559^th	2245	30.6%

See the entire list of Best Texas Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TX State Percentile
2021	49.25	501^st	1213	58.7%
2022	41.88	666^th	1251	46.8%
2023	37.11	780^th	1273	38.7%

See the entire list of Best Texas Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TX State Percentile
2021	36.49	1302^nd	2043	36.3%
2022	42.93	1137^th	2077	45.3%
2023	45.60	1088^th	2116	48.6%

See the entire list of Best Texas Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: Texas Education Agency, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Texas Education Agency

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Enrollment information for KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys

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Year	White	African American	Hispanic	American Indian	Two or More Races	Total
2019	2	118	213	1	5	339
2020	1	116	219	1	5	342
2021	1	116	236	0	3	356
2022	0	104	225	0	4	333
2023	0	108	231	0	6	345

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2019	339	18.6	18.1	85
2020	342	18.0	18.9	98.2
2021	356	16.8	21.1	89.3
2022	333	20.3	16.3	90.7
2023	345	23.0	14.9	91.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2019	339	18.6	18.1	85
2020	342	18.0	18.9	98.2
2021	356	16.8	21.1	89.3
2022	333	20.3	16.3	90.7
2023	345	23.0	14.9	91.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,406 (12.1%)	$10,248 (87.9%)	$11,654
2020	$879 (8.4%)	$9,612 (91.6%)	$10,491
2021	$756 (7.4%)	$9,483 (92.6%)	$10,238

Data source: Texas Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	339	345	1.8%
African American	118	108	8.5%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	213	231	8.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	2	0	100%
Two or More Races	5	6	20%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	85%	91.9%	6.9%

Schools Near KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				STAAR EOC Algebra I (2024)	STAAR EOC Biology (2024)	STAAR Reading (2024)				STAAR Mathematics (2024)				STAAR Science (2024)		STAAR Social Studies (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2021)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	STAAR EOC Algebra I End of Course	STAAR EOC Biology End of Course	STAAR Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Reading 6th Grade	STAAR Reading 7th Grade	STAAR Reading 8th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 5th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 6th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 7th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 8th Grade	STAAR Science 5th Grade	STAAR Science 8th Grade	STAAR Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys	Public, Charter	5-8	9636 Mesa Dr	Houston	77078	Harris County	KIPP Texas Public Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(832) 230-0567	345	23	14.9	91.9%	0 (0.0%)	108 (31.3%)	231 (67.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.7%)	33.1	1631^st of 2361 public middle schools	30.9%		31.8	1669^th of 2330 public middle schools	28.4%	38	25.9		38.5	44.8	47.0	44.6	23.4	17.2	20.5		21.8	31.3	22.9	$10,238	$756	$9,483
KIPP Voyage Academy For Girls	Public, Charter	5-8	9616 Mesa Dr	Houston	77078	Harris County	KIPP Texas Public Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(832) 230-0567	346	23	15.0	95.1%	1 (0.3%)	127 (36.7%)	215 (62.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	23.4	1928^th of 2361 public middle schools	18.3%		30.9	1694^th of 2330 public middle schools	27.3%	234	22.8		24.7	31.5	42.9	52.5	12.9	16.3	15.3		3.5	16.3	11.3	$10,067	$1,184	$8,882
Forest Brook Middle	Public	6-8	7525 Tidwell Rd	Houston	77016	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 631-7720	613	38	16.1	98.4%	9 (1.5%)	352 (57.4%)	247 (40.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	22	1972^nd of 2361 public middle schools	16.5%		7.3	2257^th of 2330 public middle schools	3.1%	285	73.1			33.8	36.4	24.9		22.5	26.4	32.2		21.5	5.7	$10,070	$1,040	$9,030
C E King Middle	Public	6-8	8530 C E King Pkwy	Houston	77044	Harris County	Sheldon Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(281) 727-4300	1,311	78	16.7	89.9%	39 (3.0%)	328 (25.0%)	908 (69.3%)	10 (0.8%)	5 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	19 (1.4%)	25.3	1871^st of 2361 public middle schools	20.8%		21.5	1935^th of 2330 public middle schools	17.0%	64	68.7			42.0	36.6	36.8		18.8	7.1	25.4		30.1	19.9	$11,127	$1,272	$9,855
Michael R Null Middle	Public	6-8	12117 Garrett Rd	Houston	77044	Harris County	Sheldon Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(281) 436-2800	1,164	69	16.8	88.6%	56 (4.8%)	339 (29.1%)	727 (62.5%)	6 (0.5%)	4 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	30 (2.6%)	19.6	2039^th of 2361 public middle schools	13.6%		17.4	2053^rd of 2330 public middle schools	11.9%	14	41.5			39.3	35.4	38.3		15.3	5.8	23.2		21.4	8.4	$9,896	$1,250	$8,646
Idea Lake Houston College Preparatory	Public, Charter	6-8	5627 S Lake Houston Pkwy	Houston	77049	Harris County	Idea Public Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	No	(832) 844-4700	261	12	21.7	92.0%	0 (0.0%)	39 (14.9%)	215 (82.4%)	2 (0.8%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	3 (1.1%)	50.8	1033^rd of 2361 public middle schools	56.2%		54.8	941^st of 2330 public middle schools	59.6%	92	38.5	37.6		41.6	53.7	54.7		35.2	35.0				35.9
North East Stem Academy	Public, Charter	6-8	10918 Bentley	Houston	77093	Harris County	Raul Yzaguirre Schools For Success	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 640-3700	57	4	14.2	87.7%	1 (1.8%)	10 (17.5%)	46 (80.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21.2	1993^rd of 2361 public middle schools	15.6%		24.4	1854^th of 2330 public middle schools	20.4%	139				27.3	37.2	43.5		22.2	18.6	13.0		17.4	17.4
Cunningham Middle	Public	7-8	14110 Wallisville Rd	Houston	77049	Harris County	Galena Park Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(832) 386-4470	928	68	13.6	88.9%	21 (2.3%)	329 (35.5%)	557 (60.0%)	2 (0.2%)	4 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	14 (1.5%)	41.4	1347^th of 2361 public middle schools	42.9%		37.1	1493^rd of 2330 public middle schools	35.9%	146	100.0				45.2	48.4			22.9	52.4		30.7	15.8	$11,419	$1,429	$9,990
Key Middle	Public	6-8	4000 Kelley St	Houston	77026	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 636-6000	615	38	16.0	99.7%	12 (2.0%)	318 (51.7%)	282 (45.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	21.2	1995^th of 2361 public middle schools	15.5%		14.4	2122^nd of 2330 public middle schools	8.9%	127	76.9			38.0	28.3	29.0		15.2	21.6	32.9		27.4	4.7	$10,726	$1,006	$9,720
Hambrick Middle	Public	6-8	4600 Aldine Mail Rt	Houston	77039	Harris County	Aldine Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(281) 985-6570	1,021	63	16.1	92.9%	24 (2.4%)	64 (6.3%)	922 (90.3%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (0.7%)	23.8	1915^th of 2361 public middle schools	18.9%		16.4	2083^rd of 2330 public middle schools	10.6%	168	88.5			23.8	19.5	30.5		9.4	27.0	49.4		31.4	8.2	$10,380	$2,431	$7,949

Frequently Asked Questions about KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys

What district is KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys in?

KIPP Texas Public Schools

Is KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys a good school?

KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys ranks 1631^st of 2361 Texas middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys?

In the 2022-23 school year, 345 students attended KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys.

What is the racial makeup of KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys?

Students at KIPP Polaris Academy For Boys are 67% Hispanic, 31% African American, 2% Two or more races.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Texas Education Agency.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.