Schools
Which district, and what the ratings actually tell you.
In Bell County, the school district a house sits in doesn't always match the city on the mailing address. Here's how the districts line up, and how I'd use the state ratings.
Districts and their 2026 ratings
| District | Serves | 2026 rating | 2025 rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belton ISD | Belton, Morgan's Point Resort, part of Temple, and unincorporated areas | B (80) | B (80) |
| Temple ISD | Temple | B (81) | C (77) |
| Killeen ISD | Killeen, Harker Heights, Nolanville, and families living on Fort Hood | C (79) | C (74) |
| Salado ISD | Salado | B (82) | B (82) |
| Troy ISD | Troy | B (83) | B (82) |
| Academy ISD | Little River-Academy | B (83) | B (82) |
| Copperas Cove ISD (Coryell County) | Copperas Cove | B (85) | B (82) |
A few things jump out. Temple ISD moved from a C to a B, and Temple High School went from a C (79) to an A (90) — one of more than 500 campuses statewide to reach an A this year. Killeen ISD is still a C overall but gained five points. Everyone else held a B or moved up within it.
Why the address matters more than the city
Belton ISD reaches into part of Temple. Killeen ISD covers Harker Heights and Nolanville. So a house with a Temple mailing address can be zoned to Belton schools, and two houses a mile apart can go to different elementary schools. Before you fall for a house, confirm its attendance zone with the district, not the listing. Listings get this wrong more often than you'd think.
How I'd use the ratings
A district's letter grade is an average across every campus it runs. The campus your child would actually attend matters more, and it can be well above or below the district number. Look up the specific elementary, middle and high school on TXschools.gov, where the state publishes every campus rating with an address search.
Then go past the grade. Visit. Ask about class sizes, the programs your kid cares about, and how long the drive is at 7:30 in the morning. A B campus ten minutes away can beat an A campus forty minutes away for a lot of families.
If you're PCSing to Fort Hood
Families living on post attend Killeen ISD. If you're buying off post, you get to choose the district by choosing the house, which is one of the bigger decisions in the whole move. Texas participates in the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children, which helps with records, enrollment and graduation requirements when you transfer mid-year. More on timing a purchase around orders is on my military relocation page.
Where to go from here
The area guides cover what each town is like to live in. If you have a school zone in mind, tell me and I'll only show you houses inside it.
Sources: Texas Education Agency, 2026 A-F Accountability Ratings (released August 14, 2026) and TXschools.gov; district figures as reported by KWTX and the Killeen Daily Herald, August 2026; district service areas from Belton ISD and Killeen ISD. Ratings are one measure; confirm attendance zones directly with each district.
Frequently asked questions
- What school district is Temple, TX in?
- Most of Temple is in Temple ISD, but part of Temple is zoned to Belton ISD. Check the specific address with the district before you buy.
- What school district serves Harker Heights and Nolanville?
- Killeen ISD. It also serves families who live on Fort Hood.
- How did Bell County school districts rate in 2026?
- In the Texas Education Agency's 2026 A-F ratings, Belton ISD, Temple ISD, Salado ISD, Troy ISD and Academy ISD earned B's, and Killeen ISD earned a C. Temple ISD improved from a C in 2025.
- Where can I look up a specific school's rating?
- TXschools.gov, the Texas Education Agency's official site, has every campus rating with a search by address.
Trying to narrow down a school zone?
Tell me the towns or districts you're considering and I'll only send listings that match.