Summary
Dover Elementary in Richardson, TX, is a PK-6 school serving 698 students within the Richardson Independent School District (Isd), and it is currently facing significant academic challenges, ranking in the 5th percentile statewide with a 0-star rating for the 2025-2026 school year.
Dover Elementary is performing at a critically low level, with proficiency rates in Reading and Math roughly half of the district average. For example, only 13.79% of 3rd graders were proficient in Math, compared to 46.18% in the district. This underperformance is widespread across all student groups, including male, female, Hispanic, Special Education, and Gifted & Talented students, indicating a systemic crisis. The school serves a student population with extremely high economic need, with over 96% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. Despite this, the school's per-student spending ($11,130) is higher than that of top-performing nearby schools like Arapaho Classical Magnet ($8,355) and Mohawk Elementary ($9,498), suggesting that the challenge is not a simple lack of funding but rather the intensity of student needs and resource allocation effectiveness.
Geographically, Dover is surrounded by some of the highest-performing elementary schools in the state, such as Spring Creek Elementary (98th percentile) and Mohawk Elementary (97th percentile), creating a stark contrast in educational outcomes within a 2-mile radius. While these schools achieve 80-90% proficiency rates, Dover struggles to reach 30%. However, schools like Hamilton Park Pacesetter Magnet (70% poverty) and Richland Elementary (74% poverty) show that high poverty does not automatically lead to failure, as they outperform Dover despite similar economic profiles. The school's ranking has dramatically declined from the 54th percentile in 2016-2017 to its current low, with the most severe drop occurring between 2023-2024 and 2024-2025, a red flag that requires immediate investigation.
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