Summary:
The Levelland Independent School District (Isd) in Texas serves three elementary schools—Levelland Academic Beginnings Center (grades PK-1), Capitol Elementary (grades 2-4), and South Elementary (grades 2-4)—in a high-poverty area where the district ranks in the bottom 20% of Texas districts.
Capitol Elementary is the standout school, earning a 2-star rating and ranking in the 46th-49th percentile statewide—far above the district’s 19th percentile. It is the only school to exceed the state average in any subject, notably in 4th Grade Mathematics (51.61% proficient vs. 49.28% state average). With the lowest student-teacher ratio (12.6) and the highest spending per student ($11,164), Capitol outperforms its peer South Elementary by a wide margin. For example, in 3rd Grade Math, Capitol scored 45.36% proficient compared to South’s alarming 10.94%—a gap of over 34 percentage points. South Elementary is the most challenged school, with a 0-star rating and a ranking in the bottom 9% of Texas elementary schools. Its performance is declining rapidly, with 3rd Grade Math dropping from 21.52% to 10.94% in one year, signaling a need for urgent intervention.
Levelland Academic Beginnings Center serves the youngest students (PK-1) but provides no standardized test data, making it a "black box" for early learning quality. Its high student-teacher ratio (16.4) for such young children is a potential concern. All three schools serve high-poverty populations, with free/reduced lunch rates ranging from 70.18% at Capitol to 78.15% at South. The district should study Capitol’s practices—such as its lower class sizes and higher spending—to replicate success at South Elementary, where the performance gap is stark despite similar economic challenges.
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