Hartsfield Elementary

Hartsfield Elementary is a small PK-5 public school in Houston, TX, serving 287 students in a high-poverty area where over 97% qualify for free or reduced lunch, and it has consistently ranked in the bottom 10% of Texas elementary schools over the past decade.

Despite a favorable student-to-teacher ratio of 13.6:1 and per-pupil spending of $11,135—both competitive with nearby schools—Hartsfield's academic performance remains persistently low, ranking in the 11th percentile. This is a stark contrast to high-performing neighbors like Brookline Elementary (84th percentile) and Thompson Elementary (74th percentile), both within 2 miles and in the same Houston Independent School District (Isd). This suggests the school's challenges are not due to a lack of resources but may relate to instructional quality or school culture. Interestingly, nearby charter schools show mixed results: Beatrice Mayes Institute Charter School (33rd percentile) outperforms Hartsfield, while KIPP Peace Elementary (3rd percentile) ranks even lower, showing that charter status alone is not a guarantee of better outcomes.

There are a few notable bright spots and concerns. Hartsfield's 3rd-grade reading proficiency jumped to 40.63% in the most recent year, a significant improvement from 16.13% the prior year, though still below district and state averages. However, a severe 4th-grade slump follows, with reading proficiency dropping to just 14.81% and math to 25.93%, a pattern seen across multiple years. Science is a critical weakness, with only 12.82% of 5th graders proficient, far below district and state levels. The school's performance with Special Education students is volatile, swinging from the 98th percentile to the 30th percentile in recent years, indicating instability in programs or staffing. Overall, Hartsfield struggles most with its low-income and at-risk students, though it shows relative strength with African American students (26th percentile), suggesting some effective practices for specific groups.