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Helms Elementary

Q: Is Helms Elementary a good school?

Helms Elementary ranks 748 th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades PK, KG-5

748^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 84% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Helms Elementary is a PK-5 public school in the Houston Heights area serving 501 students as part of the Houston Independent School District (Isd), and it stands out as a remarkable turnaround story, rising from a 1-star rating in 2015-2016 to a consistent 4-star performer today, ranking in the 84th percentile statewide.

What truly sets Helms apart is its exceptional science achievement: in 2024-2025, 64.91% of 5th graders were proficient on the STAAR Science exam, more than double the district and state averages and far outpacing nearby schools like Field Elementary (60.87%) and Harvard Elementary (54.08%). The school also excels for specific student groups, with White students ranking in the 98th percentile statewide and strong support for English Language Learners (88th percentile) and Special Education students (87th percentile). Interestingly, Helms serves a more economically diverse population than top-performing neighbors like Harvard (11.11% free/reduced lunch) with a 48.9% rate, yet achieves a similar overall ranking, suggesting it adds significant academic value relative to its student demographics.

However, there are areas to watch. While the school's overall performance is strong, its ranking for low socioeconomic status students has declined from the 83rd percentile in 2022-2023 to the 67th percentile in 2025-2026, indicating potential challenges in closing the achievement gap. Additionally, the Spanish-language STAAR exam results show volatility, with 3rd Grade Reading in Spanish jumping from 10% proficiency to 60% in recent years, while 4th Grade Reading in Spanish dropped from 42.86% to 16.67%, suggesting the bilingual program may need review. Despite these nuances, Helms remains a standout choice in the Heights, offering a science powerhouse curriculum and a proven track record of improvement that makes it a compelling option for families seeking a high-performing, diverse school.

501

Students ?

17.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,416

Per pupil spending ?

48.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

503 W 21st St
Houston, TX 77008-3641

(713) 867-5130

District: Houston Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Helms Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Hamilton Middle
High:	Heights High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

76.4%

White:

14.4%

African American:

4.4%

See top rated Texas elementary schools

Compare Helms Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 91st percentile in 2023 → 84th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Texas average (64% vs 50% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 16% of Texas elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Houston Independent School District (Isd)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 91st-percentile peak (2023) to 84th (2026)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school64%

District avg50%

Texas avg50%

748^th of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Top 16%▲ up 65 pts since 2016

From bottom 18% (2016) to top 16% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

20^th of 170Elementary Schools in the Houston Independent School District (Isd)

438^th of 951Houston 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	80.5	748 of 4627	83.8%	★★★★☆
2025	81.8	687 of 4651	85.2%	★★★★☆
2024	80.6	732 of 4710	84.5%	★★★★☆
2023	88.7	424 of 4647	90.9%	★★★★★
2022	81.4	685 of 4581	85.0%	★★★★☆
2021	67.2	1250 of 4578	72.7%	★★★★☆
2019	63.2	1349 of 4479	69.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	40.0	2557 of 4359	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	30.5	3122 of 4329	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	25.4	3495 of 4286	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	10.0	4129 of 4320	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	28.2	3484 of 4260	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	30.9	3360 of 4221	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	49.4	2317 of 4206	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2011	38.3	3037 of 4095	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	46.1	2530 of 3937	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2009	37.8	2853 of 3884	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	44.6	2438 of 3768	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2007	35.4	2869 of 3724	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	32.7	2747 of 3476	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	13.9	3317 of 3475	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	27.1	2967 of 3465	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	70.5	814 of 4461	81.8%	★★★★☆
2021	68.2	817 of 4331	81.1%	★★★★☆
2019	59.4	1370 of 4295	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.4	1596 of 4240	62.4%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	65.0	953 of 3668	74.0%	★★★★☆
2023	79.1	425 of 3556	88.0%	★★★★☆
2022	58.4	1181 of 3487	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	53.6	1292 of 3446	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	71.8	573 of 3333	82.8%	★★★★☆
2018	47.6	1617 of 3226	49.9%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	83.8	551 of 4575	88.0%	★★★★☆
2024	76.5	814 of 4658	82.5%	★★★★☆
2023	86.9	437 of 4588	90.5%	★★★★★
2022	78.8	729 of 4561	84.0%	★★★★☆
2021	64.9	1281 of 4499	71.5%	★★★★☆
2019	56.7	1681 of 4348	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	41.4	2536 of 4306	41.1%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	64.7	1140 of 3075	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.6	923 of 2980	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	73.9	500 of 2958	83.1%	★★★★☆
2021	40.9	2055 of 3006	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.3	2247 of 3184	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.8	2588 of 3106	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	75.4	706 of 4413	84.0%	★★★★☆
2024	75.9	681 of 4465	84.7%	★★★★☆
2023	85.5	356 of 4401	91.9%	★★★★★
2022	71.9	843 of 4376	80.7%	★★★★☆
2021	64.4	1143 of 4329	73.6%	★★★★☆
2019	64.0	1166 of 4188	72.2%	★★★★☆
2018	43.8	2347 of 4168	43.7%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	59.2	1484 of 4520	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	66.8	1104 of 4594	76.0%	★★★★☆
2023	72.4	776 of 4521	82.8%	★★★★☆
2022	51.0	2084 of 4477	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	45.5	2341 of 4451	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	67.3	945 of 4309	78.1%	★★★★☆
2018	39.6	2724 of 4264	36.1%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	71.7	1023 of 4582	77.7%	★★★★☆
2024	73.8	957 of 4647	79.4%	★★★★☆
2023	87.6	427 of 4585	90.7%	★★★★★
2022	79.0	752 of 4563	83.5%	★★★★☆
2021	67.2	1184 of 4498	73.7%	★★★★☆
2019	69.0	1056 of 4357	75.8%	★★★★☆
2018	38.4	2667 of 4319	38.2%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	59.8	1173 of 4301	72.7%	★★★★☆
2024	85.9	293 of 4292	93.2%	★★★★★
2023	74.7	530 of 4086	87.0%	★★★★☆
2022	54.5	1314 of 3952	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	26.0	2992 of 3558	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	91.8	62 of 3006	97.9%	★★★★★
2024	88.2	151 of 3108	95.1%	★★★★★
2023	96.3	19 of 3106	99.4%	★★★★★
2022	96.8	10 of 3082	99.7%	★★★★★
2019	67.7	867 of 3142	72.4%	★★★★☆

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)

White (2026)98th percentile+14 vs school

Female (2026)88th percentile+4 vs school

Hispanic (2026)84th percentile~ school

At Risk (2022)82nd percentile-3 vs school

Male (2026)78th percentile-6 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)74th percentile-10 vs school

Special Education (2026)73rd percentile-11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)67th percentile-17 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)63rd percentile-21 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics66%+19 vs state

Reading65%+10 vs state

5.0

3 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★3

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, March 19, 2018

This is my son’s first year at Helms Elementary. Their dual language program is first rate! I cannot believe how much my son has already learned in Kindergarten and I am so impressed by all of the teachers. It is a warm community of families that believe in creating global citizens. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, August 27, 2015

The teachers and staff are amazing. My son loves going to this school. I especially love their dual language program in which instruction is both in english and spanish. I truly recommend this school. Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, November 10, 2014

Helms is one of the smaller schools in at the area. My daughter attends the spanish emersion program. We speak absolutely no spanish at home, but that has not been an issue. The new principle is great. Helms has a very loving and caring atmosphere. Every teacher and admin knows the kids names. My daughter has learned so much since she started! Close Quote

Schools Near Helms 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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 4th 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 7th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 8th Grade	STAAR Social Studies 8th Grade	Total
Helms Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	503 W 21st St	Houston	77008	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 867-5130	501	29	17.2	48.9%	72 (14.4%)	22 (4.4%)	383 (76.4%)	11 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.6%)	80.5	748^th of 4627 public elementary schools	83.8%		81.8	687^th of 4651 public elementary schools	85.2%	61	60.0	16.7	60.0	59.1		64.2	54.1	76.8				71.6	57.8	66.7					$9,416
Love Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1120 W 13th St	Houston	77008	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 867-0840	340	25	13.6	64.4%	48 (14.1%)	27 (7.9%)	254 (74.7%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	8 (2.4%)	47.2	2258^th of 4627 public elementary schools	51.2%		38.5	2892^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	37.8%	634	0.0		11.1	18.2		37.8	61.5	59.3				24.3	60.6	40.7					$12,187
Field Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	703 E 17th St	Houston	77008	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 867-5190	507	29	17.5	41.6%	151 (29.8%)	32 (6.3%)	291 (57.4%)	24 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.8%)	93	251^st of 4627 public elementary schools	94.6%		88.6	425^th of 4651 public elementary schools	90.9%	174						73.2	71.3	81.2				70.7	78.2	78.3					$8,795
Garden Oaks Montessori	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	901 Sue Barnett Dr	Houston	77018	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 696-2930	763	44	17.2	42.7%	187 (24.5%)	45 (5.9%)	440 (57.7%)	43 (5.6%)	4 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	42 (5.5%)	60.6	1589^th of 4627 public elementary schools	65.7%		42.6	2598^th of 4651 public elementary schools	44.1%	1009	33.3				86.4	60.8	52.2	65.4	65.9	80.0	79.4	46.2	46.4	43.8	47.7	48.0	47.1	44.1	$8,881
Burrus Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	701 E 33rd St	Houston	77022	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 867-5180	198	17	11.6	96.5%	4 (2.0%)	127 (64.1%)	65 (32.8%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	53.9	1915^th of 4627 public elementary schools	58.6%		61.7	1492^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	67.9%	423						50.0	40.0	76.0				22.2	25.0	76.0					$17,926
Harvard Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	810 Harvard St	Houston	77007	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	No	(713) 867-5210	657	39	16.8	11.1%	364 (55.4%)	43 (6.5%)	170 (25.9%)	32 (4.9%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	44 (6.7%)	89.8	376^th of 4627 public elementary schools	91.9%		94.6	202^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	95.7%	174						67.8	84.5	89.9				65.2	66.4	64.0					$8,079
Sinclair Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	6410 Grovewood Ln	Houston	77008	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	No	(713) 867-5161	728	42	17.1	32.8%	321 (44.1%)	79 (10.9%)	250 (34.3%)	26 (3.6%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.4%)	47 (6.5%)	89	420^th of 4627 public elementary schools	90.9%		85.4	555^th of 4651 public elementary schools	88.1%	135						80.0	69.9	80.3				72.8	59.6	70.9					$8,129
Browning Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	607 Northwood St	Houston	77009	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 867-5140	348	27	12.7	88.8%	9 (2.6%)	4 (1.1%)	332 (95.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	54.8	1873^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	59.5%		48.5	2224^th of 4651 public elementary schools	52.2%	351	0.0		30.4			43.1	60.4	65.0				22.5	49.0	69.1					$9,195
Roosevelt Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	6700 Fulton St	Houston	77022	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 696-2820	385	24	16.0	83.1%	8 (2.1%)	22 (5.7%)	355 (92.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	53.9	1920^th of 4627 public elementary schools	58.5%		54.7	1861^st of 4651 public elementary schools	60.0%	59						54.0	50.0	57.4				29.4	59.6	52.5					$10,531
Jefferson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5000 Sharman St	Houston	77009	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 696-2778	330	22	15.0	93.9%	6 (1.8%)	32 (9.7%)	288 (87.3%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	64.9	1351^st of 4627 public elementary schools	70.8%		55	1843^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	60.4%	492						37.2	80.5	68.3				31.1	85.7	58.5					$11,426

Frequently Asked Questions about Helms Elementary

How many students attend Helms Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 501 students attended Helms Elementary.

What district is Helms Elementary in?

Houston Independent School District (Isd)

What is the racial makeup of Helms Elementary?

Students at Helms Elementary are 76% Hispanic, 14% White, 4% African American, 3% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Is Helms Elementary a good school?

Helms Elementary ranks 748^th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Helms Elementary attend?

Students who attend Helms Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Hamilton Middle
High : Heights 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.