Best Public Schools in Dale, TX

The city of Dale, Texas, is home to two elementary schools serving grades PK/K through 5th: Camino Real Elementary in the Bastrop Independent School District (Isd) and Alma Brewer Strawn Elementary in the Lockhart Independent School District (Isd). Both schools serve a high percentage of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, with Alma Brewer Strawn at 89.22% and Camino Real at 80.86% qualifying for free or reduced lunch.

Alma Brewer Strawn Elementary is the standout school in Dale, significantly outperforming Camino Real Elementary in nearly every academic metric. It ranks in the 21st percentile statewide (3,653 out of 4,627) with a 1-star rating, while Camino Real ranks in the 1st percentile (4,579 out of 4,627) with a 0-star rating. Alma Brewer Strawn achieves this despite serving a more economically disadvantaged student body, suggesting effective instructional strategies and strong leadership. A key advantage is its lower student-teacher ratio of 15.6:1 compared to Camino Real's 19.5:1, which allows for more individualized attention. In the 2025-2026 school year, Alma Brewer Strawn posted average reading proficiency of 41.58% and math proficiency of 34.55%, far exceeding Camino Real's 21.81% and 17.28%, respectively.

Both schools share a critical weakness in 5th grade science, with proficiency rates of 11.88% at Camino Real and 9.09% at Alma Brewer Strawn—both well below the state average of 29.57%. However, there are signs of improvement at Camino Real Elementary, where test scores have shown an upward trend, such as 3rd grade reading rising from 15.32% to 21.01% and 5th grade math from 14.29% to 23.27% between 2024-2025 and 2025-2026. Additionally, a large population of English Language Learners is evident through significant STAAR Spanish testing, with Alma Brewer Strawn's 4th grade Spanish reading jumping from 7.14% to 40% proficiency year-over-year, while Camino Real's remained at 0%.