
Spencer J Eggers/The Daily Campus

(Spencer J Eggers/The Daily Campus)
Nestled within the affluent neighborhood of University Park sits Highland Park High School, an institution whose navy and gold tartan is recognized across the country as a flagship of public school excellence. Located just five miles away is Woodrow Wilson High School, rated Academically Unacceptable by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) in November 2011.
A 2010 to 2011 campus profile by the TEA found that the difference in funds spent per student at the two schools is slight. However, Woodrow Wilson’s population consists of 68 percent at-risk students, compared to Highland Park’s 7.9 percent. In addition, fewer students at Woodrow Wilson pass the state’s standardized TAKS tests.
The discrepancy between levels of public education throughout the Dallas metropolitan area is a widely acknowledged problem — and one that public officials and school districts have continually failed to address.
Economic differences throughout Dallas school districts impact the caliber of education students receive.
Highland Park High School
Newsweek ranked Highland Park High School 31st on their list of “America’s Best High Schools” for 2011.
Highland Park physics teacher Jeff Barrows attributes the students’ success to the school’s familial community.
Highland Park students “aren’t the first in their families. There is a precedent that precedes them in terms of academic stature,” Barrows said. “They’re nurtured that way at home. They are inquisitive because they have been asked to be that way outside of the