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Ben Milam Elementary

Q: Is Ben Milam Elementary a good school?

Ben Milam Elementary ranks 2722 nd of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

2722^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 41% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Ben Milam Elementary is a small public school in the heart of Dallas, serving 298 students from Pre-K through 5th grade as part of the Dallas Independent School District (Isd). While the school has faced significant academic challenges over the past decade, dropping from a high point in 2015-2016 to a low in 2023-2024, recent data shows a potential turnaround, with the school now performing at the 41st percentile statewide.

One of the most striking features of Ben Milam is its location as an "island of underperformance" surrounded by some of the highest-performing elementary schools in Texas. Within a two-mile radius, families can find schools like Mockingbird Elementary (95th percentile) and Solar Preparatory School For Girls At Bonham (91st percentile), as well as Bradfield Elementary and Armstrong Elementary from the Highland Park Independent School District (Isd), both in the 99th percentile. This dramatic contrast highlights that Ben Milam serves a very different population, with 85% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch compared to 0% at the Highland Park schools. The school also spends more per student ($13,781) than its higher-performing neighbors, indicating that its challenges stem from the complex needs of its student body rather than a lack of funding.

There are encouraging signs, particularly for the youngest learners. In the most recent school year, 3rd-grade math (58.7% proficient) and 3rd-grade reading (54.35% proficient) both exceeded district and state averages, a significant improvement from the previous year. Hispanic students and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds are now performing in the top half of the state, a remarkable recovery from just two years ago. However, the school continues to struggle with consistency in its bilingual program and in serving its Special Education and Gifted & Talented students. The success of Ben Milam in the coming years will depend on whether it can sustain these early gains and extend them to all grade levels and student groups.

298

Students ?

15.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,123

Per pupil spending ?

85.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4200 McKinney Ave
Dallas, TX 75205-4526

(972) 749-5600

District: Dallas Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Ben Milam Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Alex W Spence Talented/Gifted Academy
High:	North Dallas High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

55.0%

African American:

36.6%

White:

4.7%

See top rated Texas elementary schools

Compare Ben Milam Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 16th percentile in 2024 → 41st in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 41st (2026) from a 16th-percentile low (2024)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (42% vs 50% meeting standards)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school42%

District avg49%

Texas avg50%

2,722^nd of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Bottom 41%▼ down 34 pts since 2016

From top 25% (2016) to bottom 41% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

84^th of 149Elementary Schools in the Dallas Independent School District (Isd)

441^st of 951Dallas Independent School District (Isd) among Texas districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	40.3	2722 of 4627	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	24.0	3795 of 4651	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.0	3958 of 4710	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.9	3166 of 4647	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.5	3577 of 4581	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	40.7	2529 of 4578	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	38.5	2779 of 4479	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.9	2431 of 4359	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2017	50.0	1966 of 4329	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	73.5	1068 of 4286	75.1%	★★★★☆
2015	76.8	917 of 4320	78.8%	★★★★☆
2014	59.3	1806 of 4260	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2013	39.8	2883 of 4221	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2012	51.4	2174 of 4206	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2011	49.8	2418 of 4095	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2010	65.4	1443 of 3937	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2009	59.2	1759 of 3884	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2008	71.2	980 of 3768	74.0%	★★★★☆
2007	67.9	1206 of 3724	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2006	60.5	1507 of 3476	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2005	63.5	1344 of 3475	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2004	48.8	2078 of 3465	40.0%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	39.1	1510 of 2406	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	24.6	1630 of 1905	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.6	2043 of 2443	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	50.9	1043 of 2443	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	34.8	1686 of 2421	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.6	1247 of 2444	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.1	1965 of 2515	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	54.0	973 of 2483	60.8%	★★★☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	44.4	2488 of 4461	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	60.2	1201 of 4331	72.3%	★★★★☆
2019	47.3	2160 of 4295	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.6	1896 of 4240	55.3%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	27.9	2305 of 2918	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.0	3023 of 3668	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	38.5	2339 of 3556	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.7	2454 of 3487	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	57.4	1108 of 3446	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	70.4	625 of 3333	81.2%	★★★★☆
2018	52.5	1352 of 3226	58.1%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	41.5	2671 of 4575	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	20.3	3261 of 3744	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.8	4150 of 4658	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	41.7	2693 of 4588	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.0	3299 of 4561	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	36.1	2798 of 4499	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	33.9	3067 of 4348	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	37.5	2771 of 4306	35.6%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	49.8	2007 of 3075	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	8.4	2552 of 2619	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	15.9	2794 of 2980	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	2.9	2931 of 2958	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	12.4	2787 of 3006	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	11.5	3065 of 3184	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	19.2	2861 of 3106	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	50.9	2015 of 4413	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	32.1	2712 of 3644	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.9	3792 of 4465	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	36.3	2999 of 4401	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	27.6	3547 of 4376	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	38.5	2672 of 4329	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	46.9	2198 of 4188	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	48.4	2036 of 4168	51.2%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	52.3	1967 of 4520	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	27.2	3032 of 3705	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.1	3905 of 4594	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	44.4	2588 of 4521	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.5	3051 of 4477	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	42.9	2536 of 4451	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.9	2367 of 4309	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	53.3	1812 of 4264	57.5%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	39.2	2816 of 4582	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	29.8	2823 of 3739	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.3	3367 of 4647	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.9	3413 of 4585	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.6	3724 of 4563	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	47.2	2132 of 4498	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	43.8	2407 of 4357	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.7	2274 of 4319	47.3%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	22.2	3897 of 4301	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	20.4	3194 of 3549	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.5	4158 of 4292	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	24.0	3539 of 4086	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	47.3	1748 of 3952	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.4	1864 of 3799	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.8	1115 of 3684	69.7%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)56th percentile+15 vs school

Hispanic (2026)54th percentile+13 vs school

At Risk (2022)44th percentile+22 vs school

Female (2026)42nd percentile~ school

Male (2026)39th percentile-3 vs school

African American (2026)37th percentile-4 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)35th percentile-6 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)21st percentile+3 vs school

Special Education (2026)9th percentile-32 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Reading45%-9 vs state

Mathematics43%-4 vs state

5.0

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Schools Near Ben Milam Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				STAAR Spanish Reading (2026)			STAAR Spanish Mathematics (2026)			STAAR EOC Algebra I (2026)	STAAR Reading (2026)						STAAR Mathematics (2026)					STAAR Social Studies (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	STAAR Spanish Reading 3rd Grade	STAAR Spanish Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Spanish Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 5th Grade	STAAR EOC Algebra I End of Course	STAAR Reading 3rd Grade	STAAR Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Reading 6th Grade	STAAR Reading 7th Grade	STAAR Reading 8th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 5th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 6th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 8th Grade	STAAR Social Studies 8th Grade	Total
Ben Milam Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4200 McKinney Ave	Dallas	75205	Dallas County	Dallas Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 749-5600	298	19	15.8	85.2%	14 (4.7%)	109 (36.6%)	164 (55.0%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.7%)	40.3	2722^nd of 4627 public elementary schools	41.2%		24	3795^th of 4651 public elementary schools	18.4%	1073		11.1	40.0		0.0			54.4	38.5	41.5				58.7	37.5	30.2				$13,123
Solar Preparatory School For Girls At Bonham	Public	PK, KG-8	2617 N Henderson Ave	Dallas	75206	Dallas County	Dallas Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 749-4300	703	48	14.6	55.9%	172 (24.5%)	104 (14.8%)	386 (54.9%)	14 (2.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (3.7%)	89.2	409^th of 4627 public elementary schools	91.2%		87.9	457^th of 4651 public elementary schools	90.2%	48							88.6	87.9	84.6	83.3	72.4	84.7	85.0	77.3	73.9	56.1	56.3	65.3	62.5	$10,656
Solar Prep For Boys At John F Kennedy	Public	PK, KG-8	1802 Moser Ave	Dallas	75206	Dallas County	Dallas Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 794-7100	449	34	13.2	49.4%	125 (27.8%)	66 (14.7%)	229 (51.0%)	8 (1.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (4.2%)	80.3	755^th of 4627 public elementary schools	83.7%		84.8	577^th of 4651 public elementary schools	87.6%	178							92.9	74.4	53.5	73.9	71.1	70.5	72.1	70.0	55.8	65.2	55.3	61.0	53.5	$11,577
Cesar Chavez Learning Center	Public	PK, KG-5	1710 N Carroll	Dallas	75204	Dallas County	Dallas Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 925-1000	541	37	14.8	99.3%	13 (2.4%)	284 (52.5%)	218 (40.3%)	7 (1.3%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.8%)	14.6	4315^th of 4627 public elementary schools	6.7%		19	4080^th of 4651 public elementary schools	12.3%	235	40.0	37.5	30.0	28.6	66.7	22.2		8.1	27.3	46.3				13.5	31.9	33.3				$12,314
Armstrong Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	3600 Cornell Ave	Dallas	75205	Dallas County	Highland Park Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(214) 780-3100	431	33	13.2		346 (80.3%)	2 (0.5%)	29 (6.7%)	26 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	27 (6.3%)	98.6	33^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	99.3%		98.8	25^th of 4651 public elementary schools	99.5%	8								86.8	86.2					85.3	88.5					$12,295
Personalized Learning Preparatory At Sam Houston	Public	PK, KG-5	2827 Throckmorton Ave	Dallas	75219	Dallas County	Dallas Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 749-5800	250	19	13.1	61.6%	23 (9.2%)	64 (25.6%)	140 (56.0%)	7 (2.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (6.0%)	42.4	2563^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	44.6%		78.4	815^th of 4651 public elementary schools	82.5%	1748							67.4	45.8	44.8	76.7	28.6	39.7	51.5	50.0	53.6	53.3	14.3	12.2	27.9	$13,097
Geneva Heights Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5895 Goodwin Ave	Dallas	75206	Dallas County	Dallas Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 749-7400	380	31	12.2	48.7%	143 (37.6%)	52 (13.7%)	156 (41.1%)	8 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	20 (5.3%)	76.9	870^th of 4627 public elementary schools	81.2%		67.3	1247^th of 4651 public elementary schools	73.2%	377								62.0	69.2	80.9				54.0	53.9	55.3				$14,452
Bradfield Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	4300 Southern Ave	Dallas	75205	Dallas County	Highland Park Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(214) 780-3200	578	42	13.8		461 (79.8%)	6 (1.0%)	42 (7.3%)	39 (6.7%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (4.7%)	98	51^st of 4627 public elementary schools	98.9%		98.8	26^th of 4651 public elementary schools	99.4%	25								93.0	87.7					80.0	79.8					$10,842
Ignacio Zaragoza Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4550 Worth St	Dallas	75246	Dallas County	Dallas Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 749-8600	292	22	13.0	94.5%	20 (6.8%)	56 (19.2%)	202 (69.2%)	6 (2.1%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.7%)	34.6	3116^th of 4627 public elementary schools	32.7%		28.1	3546^th of 4651 public elementary schools	23.8%	430	45.5	50.0	23.1	40.0				47.4	40.0	64.7				36.0	35.0	26.9				$14,778
Mockingbird Elementary	Public	K-5	5828 E Mockingbird Ln	Dallas	75206	Dallas County	Dallas Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(972) 749-7200	630	42	15.0	24.9%	329 (52.2%)	52 (8.3%)	178 (28.3%)	33 (5.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	36 (5.7%)	93	249^th of 4627 public elementary schools	94.6%		92	302^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	93.5%	53								76.7	73.7	76.6				75.2	75.8	72.5				$10,499

Frequently Asked Questions about Ben Milam Elementary

Is Ben Milam Elementary a good school?

Ben Milam Elementary ranks 2722^nd of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Ben Milam Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 298 students attended Ben Milam Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Ben Milam Elementary?

Students at Ben Milam Elementary are 55% Hispanic, 37% African American, 5% White, 3% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What district is Ben Milam Elementary in?

Dallas Independent School District (Isd)

What schools do graduates of Ben Milam Elementary attend?

Students who attend Ben Milam Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Alex W Spence Talented/Gifted Academy
High : North Dallas High School

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Texas Education Agency.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.