Summary
Pecan Springs Elementary is a small PK-5 public school in the Austin Independent School District (Isd), serving 279 students in the 78723 zip code, an area with a predominantly high-poverty population. The school faces profound academic challenges, consistently ranking in the bottom 1% of all elementary schools in Texas over the last four years, with proficiency rates critically low—for example, only 4.55% of 3rd graders are proficient in reading compared to the state average of 51.08%, and just 3.45% of 4th graders are proficient in math versus 49.28% statewide.
What sets Pecan Springs apart from nearby schools is the severity and consistency of its underperformance across nearly every student group. While other high-poverty schools like Harris Elementary and Norman-Sims Elementary also struggle, they show proficiency rates in the 15-30% range for the same subjects—far higher than Pecan Springs. The school ranks in the 0th or 1st percentile for all subgroups, including Hispanic, Low Socio-Economic Status, and Special Education students, indicating systemic challenges affecting the entire student body. This is a stark contrast to Blanton Elementary, located just 0.87 miles away, which serves a more affluent population and ranks in the 81st percentile statewide, with 5th-grade reading proficiency at 70.59%—more than double the state average.
Despite the overall grim picture, there is a glimmer of hope: in the most recent year, 5th-grade reading proficiency reached 30% and math proficiency 14.29%, the school's highest scores, possibly indicating an effective teacher or intervention program. Additionally, Pecan Springs spends $14,418 per student, significantly more than Blanton Elementary ($10,142) and nearby Jordan Elementary, yet these resources are not translating into academic gains. The school's sharp decline from a 38th percentile ranking in 2020-2021 to the 1st percentile today, along with a past bright spot where "At Risk" students ranked in the 47th percentile, suggests that successful strategies have been lost. This data points to potential issues with instructional models, curriculum, or leadership that parents should explore further.
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