Schools in West Waco, TX¶

West Waco is primarily served by the Midway Independent School District (MISD), one of the most highly rated school districts in the Waco area and in all of McLennan County. Some portions of western Waco also fall within the Waco Independent School District (WISD).

Public Schools¶

Midway Independent School District (MISD)¶

Midway ISD is the dominant school district for the western Waco/Woodway/Hewitt corridor. It serves communities including west Waco, Woodway, Hewitt, and Speegleville. The district has earned top rankings year after year.

District Ratings: - Niche.com: A+ overall grade; ranked #1 Best School District in McLennan County for seven consecutive years; ranked #23 in Texas, top 3% of Texas school districts. - Texas Education Agency (TEA): Overall rating of A (90/100), held steady for four consecutive rating cycles. Domain scores: Student Achievement 90, School Progress 88, Closing the Gaps 90.

District Overview: - 8 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 1 high school - 4-year graduation rate: 97.5%–98.7% (well above the Texas state average) - Strong AP course offerings, award-winning arts and athletics programs

Elementary Schools (Grades PK–5)¶

Feeder schools for River Valley Middle School:

Chapel Park Elementary School
Address: 9400 Chapel Rd, Waco, TX 76712
Grades: PK–5
GreatSchools Rating: 8/10
Notes: Serves the core West Waco / 76712 area. Well-regarded within Midway ISD.
South Bosque Elementary School
Address: 1 Wickson Rd, Waco, TX 76712
Grades: PK–5
Notes: Tied for the highest TEA score in Midway ISD (95/100). Serves the south Woodway/Speegleville area.
Speegleville Elementary School (CLOSING June 2026)
Grades: PK–5
Notes: Serves the Speegleville area west of Waco; feeds into River Valley Middle School. Midway ISD board unanimously voted March 5, 2026 to close Speegleville Elementary at the end of the 2025–26 school year. The original 1954 building requires $23M+ in repairs; closure saves ~$1.2M/year. ~108 students will rezone to South Bosque Elementary; ~110 to Woodway Elementary.
Woodway Elementary School
Grades: PK–5
Address: Woodway, TX 76712
GreatSchools Rating: 9/10
Notes: Serves the Woodway community; performs above average compared to all Texas public schools at its grade level.

Feeder schools for Midway Middle School:

Castleman Creek Elementary School
Address: 755 S Hewitt Dr, Hewitt, TX 76643
Grades: PK–5
Hewitt Elementary School
Address: 900 Panther Way, Hewitt, TX 76643
Grades: PK–5
Park Hill Elementary School
Address: 700 Ritchie Rd, Hewitt, TX 76643
Grades: PK–5
Spring Valley Elementary School
Address: 610 Spring Valley Rd, Hewitt, TX 76643
Grades: PK–5

Middle Schools (Grades 6–8)¶

River Valley Middle School
Address: Woodway, TX 76712
Grades: 6–8
Notes: Ranked #1 Best Public Middle School in McLennan County by Niche.com. Ranked in the top 7% of 2,212 public middle schools in Texas. Serves Chapel Park, South Bosque, Speegleville, and Woodway Elementary feeders.
Midway Middle School
Grades: 6–8
Notes: Also ranked in the top 7% of Texas public middle schools. Serves Castleman Creek, Hewitt, Park Hill, and Spring Valley Elementary feeders.

High School (Grades 9–12)¶

Midway High School
Address: 8200 Mars Dr, Waco, TX 76712
Phone: (254) 761-5650
Grades: 9–12
Website: midwayisd.org/mhs
GreatSchools Rating: 9/10
U.S. News & World Report: Ranked among the top 20% of high schools in Texas for over a decade; 4-year graduation rate 97.5%–98.7%.
TEA Campus Score: 95/100 (2025)
Niche: Ranked #69 in Texas for best public high schools.
Notes: Midway High School is widely regarded as one of the best public high schools in the Waco area, offering 16+ AP courses, competitive athletics, award-winning fine arts programs, and robust extracurricular offerings.

Waco Independent School District (WISD)¶

Portions of the western Waco area also fall within Waco ISD boundaries, though the Midway ISD zone covers most of the desirable 76712 residential areas. Waco ISD receives a D (63/100) rating from TEA and is generally rated lower than Midway ISD.

Niche.com Grade for Waco ISD: C
Notable Waco ISD schools near the western corridor include Lake Air Montessori School (highest-rated Waco ISD school at 78/100 TEA rating), which serves grades PK–8 as a magnet program.

Private Schools¶

Vanguard College Preparatory School¶

Grades: 7–12
Type: Independent, non-parochial private school
Founded: 1973
Location: Waco, TX (near the western corridor)
Website: vanguard.org
Notes: One of the highest-rated private schools in the Waco area. Offers 16+ AP courses, award-winning robotics and arts programs. Teacher-to-student ratio of approximately 1:12; average class size of 13. Core values: rigor, responsibility, and respect.

Live Oak Classical School¶

Grades: PK–12
Type: Private Christian classical education
Location: Waco, TX
Notes: A private school rooted in the Christian faith using a classical education model emphasizing the liberal arts and great books.

Bishop Louis Reicher Catholic School¶

Grades: PK–12
Type: Catholic
Location: Waco, TX
Notes: The primary Catholic school serving the Waco area, affiliated with the Diocese of Austin.

Valor Preparatory Academy¶

Grades: PK–12
Type: University-model, classical Christian school
Location: Waco, TX
Notes: Waco's only accredited pre-K through 12th grade university-model classical school. Combines traditional private schooling with a hybrid homeschool model, making it particularly attractive to families interested in a structured homeschool-adjacent option.

Woodway Christian School¶

Grades: PK–8
Type: Private Christian
Location: Woodway, TX 76712
Notes: A smaller private Christian school serving the immediate Woodway/West Waco community.

Homeschooling¶

Waco has a large and active homeschooling community with resources readily accessible to West Waco families:

Greater Waco Christian Home Educators (GWCHE): A large Christian volunteer support group dedicated to helping families homeschool. Website: gwche.org
Brazos Valley Co-op: A Christian homeschool co-op that meets every Friday from September through April in Waco. Website: brazosvalleyco-op.com
Alpha Omega Homeschool Co-op: A homeschool co-op with campuses in the Waco area. Website: alphaomegahscwaco.org
McLennan County Home Learners: An inclusive group for new and experienced homeschoolers in Waco and McLennan County.
Waco Area Inclusive Homeschoolers: A secular, inclusive, LGBTQ+-affirming homeschool co-op meeting August–May for preschool through teens.
Wild Sprouts: A parent-led enrichment and field trip co-op based in Waco.
Texas Home Educators (THE): Statewide organization with resources for all Texas homeschool families. Website: texashomeeducators.org
Texas Home School Coalition (THSC): Advocacy and resources statewide; local group finder available at thsc.org.

Sources: Midway ISD Official Website, Niche.com - Midway ISD, GreatSchools - Midway High School, U.S. News - Midway High School, Vanguard College Preparatory School, Texas Home Educators - Waco