Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Highland Hts Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

4343^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 6% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Highland Hts Elementary is a PK-5 public school in Houston, TX, serving 441 students within the Houston Independent School District (Isd), and is characterized by extreme economic disadvantage, with over 97% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.

Academically, this school has shown dramatic volatility. After years of ranking in the bottom 1-5% of Texas elementary schools, it made a remarkable leap from the 2nd percentile in 2022-2023 to the 33rd percentile in 2023-2024—the most dramatic single-year improvement of any nearby school. This bright spot included an extraordinary 96th percentile statewide ranking for its Special Education students. However, this progress proved fragile, as the school dropped back to the 6th percentile in the most recent data. This pattern of rapid gains followed by setbacks is unique among its peers; for example, nearby Oak Forest Elementary (with only 11% free/reduced lunch) consistently ranks in the 99th percentile, while Wesley Elementary (100% free/reduced lunch) has historically struggled but never reached Highland Hts' 2023-2024 peak.

Despite its challenges, Highland Hts has demonstrated a higher capacity for improvement than its most comparable high-poverty neighbors. In its best year, it significantly outperformed Wesley Elementary (33rd vs. 4th percentile), and even in its recent decline, it still outperforms Wesley (6th vs. 19th percentile). The school also spends more per student ($10,727) than high-performing Oak Forest ($8,770), reflecting additional funding for its high-needs population. For parents, this school represents a case of remarkable potential that has yet to be sustained, with the 2023-2024 school year serving as a powerful proof-of-concept that significant gains are possible.

441

Students ?

15.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,644

Per pupil spending ?

97.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

865 Paul Quinn St
Houston, TX 77091-4154

(713) 696-2920

District: Houston Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Highland Hts Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Williams Middle
High:	Washington B T High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

51.2%

African American:

46.3%

Two or more races:

1.1%

See top rated Texas elementary schools

Compare Highland Hts Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 1st percentile in 2016 → 6th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 5 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (27% vs 50% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (6th percentile)

!Reading scores 25 pts below the Texas average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school27%

District avg50%

Texas avg50%

4,343^rd of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Bottom 6%▲ up 5 pts since 2016

From bottom 1% (2016) to bottom 6% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

168^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	13.9	4343 of 4627	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	34.0	3194 of 4651	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.8	3156 of 4710	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	6.7	4561 of 4647	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	11.8	4343 of 4581	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	11.6	4411 of 4578	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	7.9	4408 of 4479	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	4.8	4336 of 4359	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	6.5	4282 of 4329	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	2.2	4254 of 4286	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	6.9	4206 of 4320	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	25.9	3583 of 4260	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	31.6	3332 of 4221	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	41.2	2823 of 4206	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2011	63.9	1573 of 4095	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2010	39.5	2851 of 3937	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	78.8	563 of 3884	85.5%	★★★★☆
2008	50.3	2189 of 3768	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2007	37.5	2793 of 3724	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	3.7	3454 of 3476	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	26.3	2965 of 3475	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	82.3	289 of 3465	91.7%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	20.4	2181 of 2406	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	58.3	850 of 2443	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	16.6	2294 of 2443	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	27.0	1987 of 2421	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.5	1836 of 2444	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	14.2	2439 of 2515	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	14.6	2393 of 2483	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	19.3	4101 of 4461	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	15.1	4251 of 4331	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	14.2	4192 of 4295	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	17.3	4051 of 4240	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	52.0	1561 of 3668	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	13.4	3420 of 3556	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	24.8	2993 of 3487	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.6	3390 of 3446	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	31.5	2595 of 3333	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.3	2790 of 3226	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	17.2	4195 of 4575	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	37.7	2985 of 4658	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	11.0	4421 of 4588	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.5	4298 of 4561	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	12.5	4344 of 4499	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	12.4	4181 of 4348	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	7.9	4259 of 4306	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2019	4.2	3156 of 3184	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	15.3	2924 of 3106	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	31.9	3324 of 4413	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	45.8	2390 of 4465	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	11.7	4262 of 4401	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	17.0	4068 of 4376	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	9.7	4303 of 4329	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	25.1	3569 of 4188	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	9.4	4119 of 4168	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	22.1	4038 of 4520	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	50.9	2146 of 4594	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	10.2	4401 of 4521	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	17.6	4141 of 4477	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	11.5	4378 of 4451	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	11.7	4227 of 4309	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	7.7	4234 of 4264	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	13.4	4348 of 4582	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	42.2	2681 of 4647	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	5.1	4544 of 4585	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.3	4299 of 4563	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	15.0	4191 of 4498	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	6.7	4316 of 4357	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	5.0	4304 of 4319	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	42.1	2322 of 4301	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	90.8	151 of 4292	96.5%	★★★★★
2023	14.0	4015 of 4086	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	28.1	3174 of 3952	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	38.0	2187 of 3799	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	13.9	3660 of 3684	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	16.3	3480 of 3558	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2024)57th percentile+24 vs school

Special Education (2026)46th percentile+40 vs school

Hispanic (2026)25th percentile+19 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)11th percentile+5 vs school

African American (2026)9th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)8th percentile~ school

At Risk (2022)8th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2026)5th percentile~ school

Gifted and Talented (2019)1st percentile~ school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Reading29%-25 vs state

Mathematics28%-19 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Highland Hts Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Highland Hts Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Highland Hts 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 7th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 8th Grade	STAAR Social Studies 8th Grade	Total
Highland Hts Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	865 Paul Quinn St	Houston	77091	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 696-2920	441	29	15.2	97.1%	3 (0.7%)	204 (46.3%)	226 (51.2%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.1%)	13.9	4343^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	6.1%		34	3194^th of 4651 public elementary schools	31.3%	1149	16.7	16.7	0.0	28.6	20.0	0.0		30.2	28.6	28.8				17.5	37.5	27.0					$16,644
Brazos School For Inquiry And Creativity Tidwell	Public, Charter	PK, KG-6	1055 W Tidwell Rd	Houston	77091	Harris County	Brazos School For Inquiry & Creativity	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 681-1960	151	11	13.9	100.0%	4 (2.6%)	61 (40.4%)	81 (53.6%)	3 (2.0%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	30.7	3386^th of 4627 public elementary schools	26.8%		47.3	2301^st of 4651 public elementary schools	50.5%	1085								31.3	26.3	50.0	37.5			6.7	36.8	80.0	87.5				$10,714
Wesley Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	800 Dillard St	Houston	77091	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 696-2860	291	22	13.0	100.0%	3 (1.0%)	196 (67.4%)	87 (29.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.7%)	25.1	3750^th of 4627 public elementary schools	19.0%		21.1	3968^th of 4651 public elementary schools	14.7%	218								25.0	29.0	73.9				16.7	29.0	41.7					$10,997
Durham Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	4803 Brinkman St	Houston	77018	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 613-2527	547	35	15.6	58.0%	148 (27.1%)	56 (10.2%)	326 (59.6%)	7 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	9 (1.6%)	74.9	942^nd of 4627 public elementary schools	79.6%		59.8	1589^th of 4651 public elementary schools	65.8%	647	20.0			40.0				70.2	63.9	67.5				64.9	48.6	57.5					$8,188
Anderson Academy	Public, Magnet	1-4	7401 Wheatley St	Houston	77088	Harris County	Aldine Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(281) 878-0370	568	42	13.5	88.2%	6 (1.1%)	304 (53.5%)	233 (41.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.0%)	22.8	3887^th of 4627 public elementary schools	16.0%		27.7	3568^th of 4651 public elementary schools	23.3%	319	16.7	42.9		33.3	16.7			33.9	37.3					32.3	33.3						$10,053
Oak Forest Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1401 W 43rd St	Houston	77018	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	No	(713) 613-2536	950	53	17.7	11.4%	534 (56.2%)	36 (3.8%)	233 (24.5%)	79 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	67 (7.1%)	98.1	48^th of 4627 public elementary schools	99.0%		97.4	79^th of 4651 public elementary schools	98.3%	31								85.3	85.2	92.3				87.1	80.0	88.4					$7,271
Osborne Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	800 Ringold St	Houston	77088	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(281) 405-2525	269	24	11.2	96.7%	2 (0.7%)	117 (43.5%)	147 (54.6%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	27.2	3617^th of 4627 public elementary schools	21.8%		41.7	2657^th of 4651 public elementary schools	42.9%	960	0.0			16.7				44.8	43.6	38.2				29.4	39.0	29.4					$16,711
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
Kennedy Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	400 Victoria Dr	Houston	77022	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 696-2686	430	30	14.3	97.0%	2 (0.5%)	86 (20.0%)	336 (78.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.2%)	43.6	2470^th of 4627 public elementary schools	46.6%		51	2083^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	55.2%	387	28.6	37.5		35.5	55.6			50.8	35.9	53.1				30.6	32.0	59.4					$12,624
Northline Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	821 Witcher Ln	Houston	77076	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 696-2890	358	28	12.9	97.8%	3 (0.8%)	21 (5.9%)	333 (93.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	20.5	4017^th of 4627 public elementary schools	13.2%		37.5	2952^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	36.5%	1065								23.3	27.6	46.7				20.0	32.8	40.0					$13,218

Frequently Asked Questions about Highland Hts Elementary

Is Highland Hts Elementary a good school?

Highland Hts Elementary ranks in the bottom 6.1% of Texas elementary schools.

What district is Highland Hts Elementary in?

Houston Independent School District (Isd)

What is the racial makeup of Highland Hts Elementary?

Students at Highland Hts Elementary are 51% Hispanic, 46% African American, 1% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Highland Hts Elementary attend?

Students who attend Highland Hts Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Williams Middle
High : Washington B T High School

How many students attend Highland Hts Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 441 students attended Highland Hts Elementary.

Rate Highland Hts Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

TXTexas Elementary School Rankings

TXTexas District Rankings

Schools in Houston, TX

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Highland Hts Elementary!

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.