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Test scores delayed: 2025-2026 science scores will be released by the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education in October, at which point rankings will be updated.

Houston Elementary School

Q: Is Houston Elementary School a good school?

Houston Elementary School ranks 89 th of 124 District Of Columbia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

89^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 124 District Of Columbia Elementary Schools

Better than 28% of District Of Columbia elementary schools

Summary

Houston Elementary School is a PK-5 public school in the District of Columbia Public Schools system, serving 314 students in the Deanwood neighborhood of Washington, DC. The school has historically ranked in the bottom quarter of DC elementary schools, but its most recent 2025-2026 results show it climbing to the 28th percentile statewide — a significant improvement from the 2nd percentile a few years ago. While overall proficiency remains below state averages, the school shows signs of a genuine upward trajectory.

The clearest bright spot is math. Houston's math proficiency more than doubled in one year, jumping from 8.2% in 2024-2025 to 18.6% in 2025-2026 — the highest among nearby DCPS elementary schools, including Lorraine H. Whitlock Elementary School (16.9%), Burrville Elementary School (16.8%), Thomas Elementary School (12.4%), Drew Elementary School (8.3%), and Smothers Elementary School (7.4%). Fifth-grade ELA is another standout: at 33.4% proficiency, Houston far outpaces neighbors like Thomas (15.5%), Drew (12.0%), and Smothers (10.5%). Houston also serves its low-income students well, ranking in the 59th percentile for that subgroup despite the school's lower overall rank.

Challenges remain. Science is a serious weakness, with only 7.4% of 5th graders proficient compared to roughly 20% statewide. Houston spends $29,051 per student, which is actually less than several lower-performing neighbors — Whitlock spends $39,570, Drew $33,835, and Smothers $31,179. Yet nearby Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom PCS - East End achieves higher ELA and math scores while spending less per student. For parents, the picture is complex: a school still working to lift overall achievement, but one showing meaningful progress in math, a strong 5th-grade team, and evidence that it is doing right by the students it serves.

314

Students ?

9.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$31,907

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1100 50th Pl. NE
Washington, DC 20019

(202) 671-6170

District: District of Columbia Public Schools

Students who attend Houston Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Kelly Miller Middle School
High:	H.D. Woodson High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

86.3%

Hispanic:

11.8%

Two or more races:

1.6%

See top rated District Of Columbia elementary schools

Compare Houston Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 4th percentile in 2015 → 28th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 24 percentile points since 2015

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the District Of Columbia average (19% vs 34% meeting standards)

!English Language Arts scores 21 pts below the District Of Columbia average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school19%

District avg39%

District Of Columbia avg34%

89^th of 124

District Of Columbia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 28%▲ up 16 pts since 2016

From bottom 12% (2016) to bottom 28% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of District Of Columbia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

55^th of 74Elementary Schools in the District of Columbia Public Schools

19^th of 46District of Columbia Public Schools among District Of Columbia 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	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2026	24.3	89 of 124	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.5	111 of 128	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.4	88 of 126	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	23.4	107 of 128	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.4	93 of 97	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	12.2	120 of 122	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	20.0	102 of 120	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	19.6	95 of 108	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	17.1	87 of 99	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	16.2	93 of 97	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	15.6	97 of 109	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	35.6	74 of 112	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2011	33.8	75 of 111	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2010	62.5	34 of 111	69.4%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2026	37.8	51 of 96	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	21.3	93 of 108	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	12.9	104 of 106	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	23.8	80 of 100	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	17.8	85 of 91	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	19.9	84 of 90	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	11.9	114 of 117	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	22.2	89 of 110	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2026	46.7	33 of 80	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	25.6	78 of 92	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	14.9	112 of 113	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	21.0	97 of 113	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)59th percentile+31 vs school

African American (2026)47th percentile+19 vs school

At Risk (2019)7th percentile+5 vs school

Female (2019)3rd percentile~ school

Male (2019)1st percentile~ school

By subject vs District Of Columbia (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts19%-21 vs state

Mathematics19%-10 vs state

★

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Schools Near Houston Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				DC CAPE English Language Arts (2026)				DC CAPE Mathematics (2026)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2016)	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	DC CAPE English Language Arts 3rd Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts 4th Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts 5th Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts All Grades	DC CAPE Mathematics 3rd Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics 4th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics 5th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Houston Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1100 50th Pl. NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 671-6170	314	33	9.5	100.0%	1 (0.3%)	271 (86.3%)	37 (11.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.6%)	24.3	89^th of 124 public elementary schools	28.2%		18.5	111^th of 128 public elementary schools	13.3%	22		7.9	33.4	18.6		13.2	12.1	18.6	$31,907	$2,701	$29,206
Burrville Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	801 Division Ave. NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 671-6020	232	20	11.6	100.0%	2 (0.9%)	217 (93.5%)	13 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40.2	60^th of 124 public elementary schools	51.6%		31.3	82^nd of 128 public elementary schools	35.9%	22		52.4		31.1	42.8	9.5	5.7	16.8	$31,900	$2,742	$29,158
Thomas Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1300 44th St. NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 724-4593	228	29	7.8	100.0%	1 (0.4%)	208 (91.2%)	15 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.3%)	19.2	99^th of 124 public elementary schools	20.2%		21.5	103^rd of 128 public elementary schools	19.5%	4			15.5	17.1	10.7	19.1	9.4	12.4	$37,027	$2,989	$34,038
DC Wildflower PCS - The Riverseed School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-2	913 55th St NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	DC Wildflower PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(202) 350-1335	45	3	15.0		0 (0.0%)	44 (97.8%)	1 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)									$49,230	$2,842	$46,388
Lorraine H. Whitlock Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	533 48th Pl NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 671-6060	162	19	8.7	100.0%	0 (0.0%)	144 (88.9%)	16 (9.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	15.5	113^th of 124 public elementary schools	8.9%		31.8	81^st of 128 public elementary schools	36.7%	32	4.6	10.5				10.5	6.7	16.9	$40,847	$5,139	$35,708
Drew Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5600 Eads St. NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 671-6040	223	26	8.7	100.0%	3 (1.3%)	206 (92.4%)	14 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16.3	111^th of 124 public elementary schools	10.5%		17.8	113^th of 128 public elementary schools	11.7%	2	8.7	19.2	12.0	13.5	8.7	12.0	4.0	8.3	$35,085	$2,561	$32,524
Smothers Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4400 Brooks St. NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 939-3600	250	29	8.6	100.0%	1 (0.4%)	219 (87.6%)	30 (12.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13.7	118^th of 124 public elementary schools	4.8%		16.5	118^th of 128 public elementary schools	7.8%				10.5	12.5	7.7	12.8	2.7	7.4	$31,114	$2,662	$28,453
KIPP DC - Quest Academy PCS	Public, Charter	1-4	5300 Blaine Street NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	KIPP Dc Pcs	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 398-6811	388	27	14.2	99.4%	0 (0.0%)	375 (96.6%)	10 (2.6%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25.7	85^th of 124 public elementary schools	31.5%		17.1	117^th of 128 public elementary schools	8.6%	32	14.5	15.0		14.8	24.5	23.2		23.8	$27,805	$3,914	$23,891
KIPP DC - Arts and Technology Academy PCS	Public, Charter	PK-K	5300 Blaine Street NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	KIPP Dc Pcs	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 398-6811	244	18	13.3	98.7%	0 (0.0%)	238 (97.5%)	5 (2.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)									$31,311	$3,097	$28,214
Global Citizens PCS	Public, Charter	PK, KG-3	4095 Minnesota Avenue NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	Global Citizens PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(202) 221-6400	198	19	10.4		7 (3.5%)	157 (79.3%)	18 (9.1%)	6 (3.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.5%)								(n/a)					52.3				$27,727	$1,326	$26,402

Frequently Asked Questions about Houston Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Houston Elementary School?

Students at Houston Elementary School are 86% African American, 12% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

Is Houston Elementary School a good school?

Houston Elementary School ranks 89^th of 124 District Of Columbia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend Houston Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 314 students attended Houston Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Houston Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Houston Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Kelly Miller Middle School
High : H.D. Woodson High School

What district is Houston Elementary School in?

District of Columbia Public Schools

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Latest District Of Columbia data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataSep 2, 2026

2025–26 DC CAPE test scoresAug 20, 2026

2024–25 DC Science test scoresDec 5, 2025

2024–25 graduation ratesDec 4, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education.

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.