Itasca Middle

Itasca is a small rural community in Hill County, about an hour south of Dallas-Fort Worth, where Friday nights revolve around Wampus Cat football and neighbors still know each other by name. Itasca Middle sits at the heart of that tight-knit culture, and while academic scores leave room to grow, the school's science performance stands out relative to its peers — a bright spot worth watching. Families drawn to small-town Texas life, where kids aren't just a number and community involvement runs deep, will find a school that reflects the character of the town itself.