Hempstead Middle School

Hempstead ISD is celebrating a significant milestone in its journey of transformation, as 2025–2026 accountability results show some of the strongest growth in its history and the highest-rated campus in the modern A-F accountability system. 

The district’s 2025–2026 accountability rating is C, representing a 19-point increase from 58 in 2021–2022 to 77 in 2025–2026, a 33% increase. This marks the third consecutive year of growth since the Texas Education Agency reset its accountability system, raising the bar with more rigorous standards and expectations for student and campus performance.

For Hempstead ISD Superintendent Herbert O’Neil, the results are about more than a number or letter grade.

“This is what happens when you believe in children, believe in teachers, and refuse to accept average,” Superintendent Herbert O’Neil said. “Our students have always had the ability. Our responsibility as adults was to create the conditions for them to demonstrate it. What we are seeing today is the result of our teachers and staff raising expectations, aligning our work and staying committed to our students. We are incredibly proud of how far Hempstead ISD has come, and even more excited about where we are going.”

Hempstead ISD’s progress did not happen overnight. It is the result of four years of intentional work focused on improving instruction, strengthening culture, and creating better outcomes for students.

The district entered this period with academic challenges that placed Hempstead ISD on lists that represented some of the state’s lowest-performing schools and districts. Today, the district has moved off those lists, with no campuses receiving a D or F rating, and its first B+ campus. Every campus has made measurable gains.

Hempstead High School earned a C Rating, increasing from a 59 rating in 2021–2022 to 77 in 2025–2026, a 19-point gain and 30.5% increase.

Hempstead Middle School recorded the district’s largest gain and received a B+ Rating. The campus earned an 86, increasing from 59 in 2021–2022, a 27-point gain and 45.8% increase. The campus is also receiving a Distinction Designation for the second time, another reflection of the high expectations and academic progress taking place at Hempstead Middle School. 

Hempstead Elementary School earned a C Rating of 71, increasing from 60 in 2021–2022, an 11-point gain and 18.3% increase. This is the first time in almost a decade that the campus has not been on the list of underperforming campuses. 

Across the district, the results tell a consistent story. Students are performing better because the adults supporting them are working differently.

When Hempstead ISD developed its Strategic Plan, Learning & Leading to Higher Heights, the district established a clear vision: Hempstead ISD will cultivate confident learners and leaders who excel in all endeavors.

That vision became a commitment to expecting more, challenging what was possible, and creating better outcomes for every student.

District leaders and teachers raised standards and expectations for students. Professional development became more intentional. High-quality instructional materials and resources were strengthened. Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) brought educators together around student data, curriculum, planning, and instructional practices. Most importantly, the work became aligned.

“The biggest story behind these results is the alignment,” Hempstead ISD Chief Academic Officer Emily Vermeulen said. “Our teachers and leaders were working with the same priorities. We strengthened curriculum, deepened our PLC work, used data to identify where students needed support, and focused professional learning on what would make the greatest difference in the classroom. When adults align around the right work and maintain high expectations, students respond.”

That response is evident across the district.

Since 2021-2022, students in Grades 3–12, STAAR performance across all tested areas increased by:

• +16.3 percentage points in Approaches

• +15.3 percentage points in Meets

• +4.3 percentage points in Masters

The progress also extends to Hempstead ISD’s youngest learners.

At the Hempstead Early Childhood Center, Pre-K 4 students increased their early literacy skills by 42%, while 84% met or exceeded their mathematics goals by the end of the 2025–2026 school year.

The results demonstrate that the district’s progress is not limited to one grade level, campus, or subject. More students are meeting grade-level expectations than before.

For Hempstead Middle School Principal Erika Douglas, the campus’s B+ rating of 86, second Academic Achievement in Social Studies Distinction Designation, and Top 25% Comparative Closing the Gaps Distinction are evidence of what happens when expectations remain high, and the entire campus takes ownership of student success. 

“Our students knew we believed they could do this before they believed it themselves,” Principal Douglas explained. “Our teachers challenged students, our teams collaborated, and our students responded. We are proud of this accomplishment, but we are not finished. We know our students are capable of even more.”

The 27-point increase at Hempstead Middle School represents the largest accountability gain among Hempstead ISD campuses since the district began this period of focused improvement in 2022.

At Hempstead High School, the increase from a 59 to a 77 over the last four years reflects a campus that has steadily raised its academic expectations while continuing to prepare students for life beyond high school.

“Our students have shown us what they can accomplish when we set the bar high and give them the support to reach it,” Hempstead High School Principal LaKesha Morgan said. “This growth reflects the commitment of our teachers, our students, and our families. We are celebrating this moment because our students earned it. But we also understand that this is not the finish line. We are setting an even higher standard for what comes next.”

The accountability results are only one measure of a much larger transformation taking place throughout Hempstead ISD. The district has worked to build better schools and a better culture all while improving student outcomes.

That work has required Hempstead ISD to think differently about what its students can accomplish. The district has refused to accept the idea that students should be limited by past performance, circumstances, or expectations that were set for them by others.

As Hempstead ISD begins the 2026–2027 school year, the district is carrying its momentum forward with a new theme: Expect More. Achieve More. Learning Without Limits.

The theme reflects a district that is celebrating its progress without becoming comfortable. Instruction remains the district’s primary focus.

Hempstead ISD does not aspire to become a “good” school district. Its goal is to become a world-class learning organization, one that competes at the highest levels in academics, athletics, fine arts, student organizations, and every opportunity available to students.

“We are proud of this moment, but we are not going to stop here,” Superintendent O’Neil said. “Our students deserve teachers and leaders who continue to expect more, achieve more, and believe that learning has no limits. We want to compete at the highest levels across the board. We want our students to walk into every classroom, every competition, every performance, and every opportunity knowing they belong there.”

The district’s transformation also extends beyond the classroom.

When schools improve, communities improve. Hempstead ISD believes that stronger schools contribute to a stronger city, a stronger county, and a stronger future for the entire Hempstead community.

The work ahead is clear. Hempstead ISD will continue improving instruction, strengthening culture, raising expectations, and creating opportunities for every student to excel.

Four years ago, Hempstead ISD was working to change its trajectory. Today, the results show that trajectory has changed, and the district continues to move to #HigherHeights.