Summary:
The Rice Independent School District (Isd) is a small, rural district in Rice, Texas, served by a single elementary school, Rice Elementary, which educates 444 students from Pre-Kindergarten through 4th grade.
Rice Elementary presents a mixed picture of performance. The school has a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students (81.53%), yet its 3rd graders in the 2025-2026 school year outperformed the state average in both Reading (54.05% vs. 51.08%) and Math (54.05% vs. 44.33%). This is a notable achievement. However, the same year, 4th graders fell significantly below the state average in both subjects (Reading: 35.37% vs. 53.04%; Math: 30.86% vs. 49.28%). This creates a "3rd grade peak" phenomenon, where performance drops sharply in 4th grade. The school's state ranking has also declined over the past three years, from the 60th percentile to the 44th percentile, indicating recent struggles compared to other Texas elementary schools.
Year-over-year data reveals significant volatility. While 3rd graders showed strong improvement from the previous year in both Reading and Math, 4th graders experienced a sharp decline. This inconsistency suggests that student success may be heavily influenced by the specific teacher or classroom environment each year. The district as a whole is ranked in the 62nd percentile of Texas districts, earning a 3-star rating, which indicates that while the elementary school is facing challenges, the district administration is performing relatively well. For parents, this means Rice Elementary has strong early-grade instruction but may need to focus on stabilizing and improving 4th-grade outcomes to ensure consistent student growth.
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