Small government combined school (Prep–12) serving rural community in Tara, outer regional Queensland.
NAPLAN well below national year-level averages; the result is a C overall.
Tara Shire State College is also known as TSSC and TSSC Tara.
Tara Shire State College draws students from the Tara Shire State College (and 2 more zones).
Tara Shire State College has an overall SchoolRank score of 24.6/100, rated "Below Average". This score is calculated from academic results, student growth, wellbeing, extracurricular programs, and value for money. Academically, the school scores 19/100, indicating developing performance relative to other Australian schools. The school's ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) is 842, below the national average of 1,000.
In 2025 NAPLAN testing at Tara Shire State College, Year 3 students averaged 312 across the tested NAPLAN domains, well below the national average of 407 for that year level, and Year 5 students averaged 402, well below the national average of 490 for that year level, and Year 7 students averaged 450, well below the national average of 540 for that year level, and Year 9 students averaged 468, well below the national average of 569 for that year level. National averages are specific to each year level, because NAPLAN scores are scaled so older year levels score higher, a school-wide average can't be compared with a single national figure.
Tara Shire State College is a small government combined school with approximately 353 students. It offers education for years Prep-12. As a government school, enrolment is generally available to students living within the school's designated catchment zone. Families outside the zone may apply for out-of-area placement subject to availability.
Tara Shire State College is a government school, so there are no tuition fees. Families may be asked to contribute to voluntary school fees covering materials, excursions, and activities. The school has a value score of 20/100 on SchoolRank, which compares educational outcomes relative to cost, government schools typically score well on this measure.
Tara Shire State College has a student-to-teacher ratio of 9.6:1. This is well below the national average of approximately 14:1, meaning students generally receive more individual attention. Support staff make up 39% of the workforce, providing additional learning assistance and pastoral care. The student attendance rate is 81%, which is below the national benchmark.
Tara Shire State College is located in Tara, QLD, classified as a outer regional school. With an ICSEA of 842 (4th percentile), the school community's socio-educational advantage is below average, which means the school serves a community with greater socio-educational challenges. ICSEA measures the educational advantage of a school's community, not the school's quality, a lower ICSEA school with strong academic scores may indicate particularly effective teaching.