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Hillcrest Pds Magnet

Q: Is Hillcrest Pds Magnet a good school?

Hillcrest Pds Magnet ranks 2343 rd of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades PK, KG-5

2343^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 49% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Hillcrest Pds Magnet is an elementary school in Waco, TX, serving 431 students in grades PK-5 within the Waco Independent School District (Isd), and it stands out as a high-performing option in a district facing significant challenges.

Hillcrest is the highest-performing traditional elementary school in the district, currently ranking in the 49th percentile statewide—a stark contrast to nearby schools like Provident Heights Elementary (19th percentile) and Mountainview Elementary (6th percentile). The school has shown a remarkable turnaround, climbing from the 22nd percentile in 2019 to a peak of the 55th percentile in 2023. It consistently outperforms the district average in every subject and grade level; for example, 3rd-grade reading proficiency is 63.49% at Hillcrest compared to the district's 27.36%. Notably, Hillcrest achieves these results while spending less per student ($10,658) than struggling peers like Brook Avenue Elementary ($12,942), indicating efficient resource use. The only school in the area that outperforms Hillcrest is the nearby Lake Air Montessori School, which has a similar economic profile and also serves as a magnet program.

Hillcrest serves a more economically diverse population than its neighbors, with a free/reduced lunch rate of 63.34% compared to over 84% at most other Waco ISD elementary schools. The school excels with specific student groups, earning 4-star ratings for both White and African American students, who rank in the 82nd and 71st percentiles statewide, respectively. However, it struggles with Hispanic students (15th percentile) and English Language Learners (25th percentile), highlighting an area for improvement. Overall, Hillcrest offers a strong, efficient educational option for families seeking a magnet program with a track record of growth and high performance relative to the district.

431

Students ?

14.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,834

Per pupil spending ?

63.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4225 Pine Ave
Waco, TX 76710-2022

(254) 772-4286

District: Waco Independent School District (Isd)

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

56.4%

White:

23.7%

African American:

14.4%

See top rated Texas elementary schools

Compare Hillcrest Pds Magnet to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 62nd percentile in 2016 → 49th in 2026

Strengths

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

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 13 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school47%

District avg27%

Texas avg51%

2,343^rd of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Bottom 49%▼ down 13 pts since 2016

From top 38% (2016) to bottom 49% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 14Elementary Schools in the Waco Independent School District (Isd)

905^th of 951Waco 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	45.8	2343 of 4627	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	47.8	2271 of 4651	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.6	2330 of 4710	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.3	2104 of 4647	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	40.8	2690 of 4581	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	45.4	2275 of 4578	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	27.4	3500 of 4479	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.1	3240 of 4359	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	38.6	2626 of 4329	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2016	62.6	1634 of 4286	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2015	46.1	2534 of 4320	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2014	35.5	3138 of 4260	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	49.5	2323 of 4221	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	50.0	2282 of 4206	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2011	82.2	349 of 4095	91.5%	★★★★★
2010	79.1	517 of 3937	86.9%	★★★★☆
2009	79.4	532 of 3884	86.3%	★★★★☆
2008	70.1	1046 of 3768	72.2%	★★★★☆
2007	70.3	1048 of 3724	71.9%	★★★★☆
2006	74.7	734 of 3476	78.9%	★★★★☆
2005	63.3	1350 of 3475	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2004	69.9	984 of 3465	71.6%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	61.5	708 of 2406	70.6%	★★★★☆
2025	59.8	614 of 1905	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.3	1407 of 2443	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.2	1487 of 2443	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.1	1877 of 2421	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	50.2	1041 of 2444	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	30.8	1929 of 2515	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.0	2250 of 2483	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	25.1	3779 of 4461	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	32.0	3213 of 4331	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	18.3	4066 of 4295	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	10.7	4207 of 4240	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	32.0	1240 of 1643	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.7	2471 of 2918	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.5	3535 of 3668	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	19.2	3275 of 3556	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.0	3397 of 3487	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	21.8	3114 of 3446	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	7.8	3313 of 3333	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	40.9	2710 of 4575	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	46.5	1937 of 3744	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.4	2798 of 4658	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.4	2710 of 4588	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.3	2196 of 4561	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	57.6	1618 of 4499	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	36.7	2893 of 4348	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	32.3	3108 of 4306	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	34.5	2553 of 3075	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	27.3	2270 of 2619	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	47.7	2019 of 2980	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.5	2028 of 2958	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	50.3	1750 of 3006	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	15.2	3016 of 3184	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	29.0	2645 of 3106	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	25.1	3740 of 4413	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.5	3116 of 3644	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.9	3560 of 4465	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	38.7	2854 of 4401	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.1	3089 of 4376	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	41.3	2504 of 4329	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	23.2	3673 of 4188	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.3	3508 of 4168	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	42.7	2660 of 4520	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.0	2522 of 3705	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.7	3235 of 4594	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	39.9	2878 of 4521	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	25.6	3761 of 4477	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	48.8	2112 of 4451	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	31.7	3352 of 4309	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.5	3639 of 4264	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	50.2	2093 of 4582	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	46.0	1916 of 3739	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	49.3	2229 of 4647	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.7	1653 of 4585	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	33.3	3184 of 4563	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	30.7	3138 of 4498	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	22.3	3747 of 4357	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.7	3387 of 4319	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	51.8	477 of 975	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	22.2	814 of 961	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	38.2	2634 of 4301	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	25.8	2930 of 3549	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.2	3781 of 4292	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.6	3509 of 4086	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	42.0	2131 of 3952	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.8	2197 of 3799	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.0	2831 of 3684	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.4	3340 of 3558	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	76.2	548 of 3006	81.8%	★★★★☆
2025	75.3	502 of 2612	80.8%	★★★★☆
2024	76.3	531 of 3108	82.9%	★★★★☆
2023	89.4	126 of 3106	95.9%	★★★★★
2022	82.3	321 of 3082	89.6%	★★★★☆
2021	64.2	929 of 3082	69.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	49.8	1616 of 3142	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	53.3	1430 of 3127	54.3%	★★★☆☆

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)82nd percentile+32 vs school

African American (2026)71st percentile+21 vs school

Male (2026)54th percentile+5 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)51st percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)41st percentile-8 vs school

Female (2026)41st percentile-9 vs school

Special Education (2026)39th percentile-11 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)25th percentile-25 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)17th percentile-32 vs school

At Risk (2022)15th percentile-26 vs school

Hispanic (2026)15th percentile-34 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Reading56%~ state avg

Mathematics38%-9 vs state

5.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, September 18, 2009

Hillcrest PDS is an amazing school! The teachers are caring and knowledgeable. The principal, Ms. Randazzo is a great administrator who really listens to teachers, staff, parents and the kids. There's no better place in the Waco area. Nothing in Hewitt, Woodway, Robinson, or any other area school is even close to what Hillcrest offers. Close Quote

Schools Near Hillcrest Pds Magnet

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 Mathematics 3rd 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
Hillcrest Pds Magnet	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	4225 Pine Ave	Waco	76710	McLennan County	Waco Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(254) 772-4286	431	29	14.8	63.3%	102 (23.7%)	62 (14.4%)	243 (56.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (4.9%)	45.8	2343^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	49.4%		47.8	2271^st of 4651 public elementary schools	51.2%	72				63.5	53.2	50.0				40.3	38.7	35.5					$8,834
Lake Air Montessori School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	4601 Cobbs Dr	Waco	76710	McLennan County	Waco Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(254) 772-1910	734	55	13.4	68.1%	117 (15.9%)	89 (12.1%)	499 (68.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (3.7%)	38.6	2848^th of 4627 public elementary schools	38.4%		55.4	1814^th of 4651 public elementary schools	61.0%	1034			88.2	38.6	61.3	63.5	44.4	56.5	53.5	25.7	34.7	41.9	18.5	0.0	51.6	41.9	$9,895
Dean Highland Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3300 Maple	Waco	76707	McLennan County	Waco Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(254) 752-3751	617	36	17.2	94.8%	32 (5.2%)	149 (24.1%)	415 (67.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.1%)	3	4615^th of 4627 public elementary schools	0.3%		5.5	4606^th of 4651 public elementary schools	1.0%	9				5.3	19.8	23.6				10.5	19.5	6.7					$8,976
Mountainview Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5901 Bishop St	Waco	76710	McLennan County	Waco Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(254) 772-2520	349	26	13.6	84.8%	65 (18.6%)	100 (28.7%)	161 (46.1%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.7%)	14.4	4330^th of 4627 public elementary schools	6.4%		18.6	4111^th of 4651 public elementary schools	11.6%	219				32.1	41.5	33.3				26.8	20.8	20.0					$10,546
Crestview Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1120 N New Rd	Waco	76710	McLennan County	Waco Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(254) 776-1704	464	30	15.5	95.3%	39 (8.4%)	129 (27.8%)	280 (60.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.2%)	7.6	4545^th of 4627 public elementary schools	1.8%		5.9	4594^th of 4651 public elementary schools	1.2%	49	0.0	11.1		19.3	31.3	32.8				12.3	25.0	14.9					$9,607
Harmony Science Academy (Waco)	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	1900 N Valley Mills Dr	Waco	76710	McLennan County	Harmony Public Schools - North Texas	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(254) 751-7878	569	39	14.4	87.0%	70 (12.3%)	104 (18.3%)	372 (65.4%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.3%)	18.7	4116^th of 4627 public elementary schools	11.0%		27.1	3600^th of 4651 public elementary schools	22.6%	516				36.6	44.6	43.0				23.9	17.6	25.3					$11,042
Provident Heights Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2415 Bosque Blvd	Waco	76707	McLennan County	Waco Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(254) 750-3930	383	26	14.7	94.3%	20 (5.2%)	55 (14.4%)	295 (77.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	10 (2.6%)	24.8	3764^th of 4627 public elementary schools	18.7%		15.5	4258^th of 4651 public elementary schools	8.4%	494				41.1	28.9	44.4				33.9	18.9	42.9					$9,520
Parkdale Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6400 Edmond	Waco	76710	McLennan County	Waco Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(254) 772-2170	497	36	13.8	92.4%	58 (11.7%)	191 (38.4%)	223 (44.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.6%)	14.9	4301^st of 4627 public elementary schools	7.0%		9	4509^th of 4651 public elementary schools	3.1%	208				25.9	33.3	44.6				15.3	31.5	27.7					$8,926
Cedar Ridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2115 Meridian Ave	Waco	76708	McLennan County	Waco Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(254) 756-1241	446	29	15.4	95.1%	37 (8.3%)	129 (28.9%)	262 (58.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.0%)	18.4	4136^th of 4627 public elementary schools	10.6%		15.3	4272^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	8.1%	136				25.9	34.6	43.6				19.0	31.4	39.3					$10,101
West Avenue Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1101 N 15th St	Waco	76707	McLennan County	Waco Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(254) 750-3900	249	18	13.8	96.4%	12 (4.8%)	116 (46.6%)	113 (45.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.2%)	9.3	4511^th of 4627 public elementary schools	2.5%		15	4288^th of 4651 public elementary schools	7.8%	223				32.4	26.3	38.1				20.6	18.4	11.9					$10,962

Frequently Asked Questions about Hillcrest Pds Magnet

What is the racial makeup of Hillcrest Pds Magnet?

Students at Hillcrest Pds Magnet are 56% Hispanic, 24% White, 14% African American, 5% Two or more races.

How many students attend Hillcrest Pds Magnet?

In the 2024-25 school year, 431 students attended Hillcrest Pds Magnet.

What district is Hillcrest Pds Magnet in?

Waco Independent School District (Isd)

Is Hillcrest Pds Magnet a good school?

Hillcrest Pds Magnet ranks 2343^rd of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

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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.