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Amigos Por Vida-Friends For Life Charter School

Q: Is Amigos Por Vida-Friends For Life Charter School a good school?

Amigos Por Vida-Friends For Life Charter School ranks 1798 th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades PK, KG-5

1798^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 61% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Amigos Por Vida-Friends For Life Charter School is a public charter elementary school in Houston's Gulfton area, serving 524 students in grades PK-5, and it stands out as a high-performing school in a neighborhood where many nearby schools struggle. This school has a strong track record, consistently earning 4-star ratings from SchoolDigger for most of the last decade, though it recently dipped to a 3-star ranking (61st percentile). What makes Amigos Por Vida particularly impressive is its success with a student population where over 97% qualify for free or reduced lunch—a high-poverty demographic where academic achievement is often challenging. In fact, the school ranked in the 98th percentile statewide for low socioeconomic status students in 2022-2023, showing it is exceptionally effective at closing achievement gaps.

When compared to nearby schools, Amigos Por Vida is a clear academic outlier. For example, Cunningham Elementary, Benavidez Elementary, and Rodriguez Elementary—all within a mile—rank in the bottom 5-31% of Texas schools. Amigos Por Vida also outperforms other charters serving similar demographics, like Services-Ninos Charter Elementary and Services-Ninos Charter Elementary II, which rank in the bottom 21-40%. The school's science scores are notably strong: 5th-grade proficiency reached 40.85% in 2024-2025, far exceeding the state average of 29.57% and dramatically outperforming nearby schools like Cunningham (18.92%) and Benavidez (11.34%). Reading proficiency is also a key strength, with 4th and 5th graders scoring 20-30 percentage points above the state average.

While Amigos Por Vida has experienced a recent performance dip—dropping from the 86th percentile in 2022-2023 to the 61st percentile—its long-term record remains impressive. The school has never fallen below the 45th percentile in the last decade, a consistency unmatched by its neighbors. It also shows strong results for male and at-risk students, ranking in the 90th and 98th percentiles respectively in 2022-2023. The highest-performing school in the area, Mandarin Immersion Magnet School (99th percentile), serves a very different demographic with only 22% free/reduced lunch, making Amigos Por Vida's achievements with a high-needs population particularly noteworthy. For parents seeking a school that delivers strong academic results despite economic challenges, Amigos Por Vida is a standout choice in the Houston Independent School District (Isd) area.

524

Students ?

18.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,451

Per pupil spending ?

97.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5503 El Camino Del Rey
Houston, TX 77081

(713) 349-9945

District: Amigos Por Vida-Friends For Life Pub Charter School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

98.1%

African American:

1.3%

White:

0.4%

See top rated Texas elementary schools

Compare Amigos Por Vida-Friends For Life Charter School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 86th percentile in 2023 → 61st in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Texas median (61st percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 86th-percentile peak (2023) to 61st (2026)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school52%

District avg52%

Texas avg51%

1,798^th of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Top 39%▲ up 16 pts since 2016

From bottom 45% (2016) to top 39% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

148^th of 951Amigos Por Vida-Friends For Life Pub Charter School 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	56.2	1798 of 4627	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	73.1	998 of 4651	78.5%	★★★★☆
2024	70.8	1101 of 4710	76.6%	★★★★☆
2023	82.7	656 of 4647	85.9%	★★★★☆
2022	79.1	792 of 4581	82.7%	★★★★☆
2021	73.8	970 of 4578	78.8%	★★★★☆
2019	66.8	1202 of 4479	73.2%	★★★★☆
2018	63.8	1307 of 4359	70.0%	★★★★☆
2017	60.1	1480 of 4329	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	48.8	2364 of 4286	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2015	58.1	1902 of 4320	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2014	50.4	2311 of 4260	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2013	33.3	3241 of 4221	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	49.9	2288 of 4206	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2011	44.4	2721 of 4095	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2010	58.0	1893 of 3937	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	52.7	2100 of 3884	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2008	62.3	1512 of 3768	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2007	63.4	1455 of 3724	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2006	61.7	1440 of 3476	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2005	51.5	1962 of 3475	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2004	50.4	2001 of 3465	42.3%	★★☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	94.2	95 of 4461	97.9%	★★★★★
2021	92.9	120 of 4331	97.2%	★★★★★
2019	89.6	167 of 4295	96.1%	★★★★★
2018	85.8	257 of 4240	93.9%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	74.1	626 of 3668	82.9%	★★★★☆
2023	84.0	282 of 3556	92.1%	★★★★★
2022	87.3	188 of 3487	94.6%	★★★★★
2021	87.8	179 of 3446	94.8%	★★★★★
2019	78.2	365 of 3333	89.0%	★★★★☆
2018	78.4	359 of 3226	88.9%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	42.7	2573 of 4575	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	60.3	1558 of 4658	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	73.2	968 of 4588	78.9%	★★★★☆
2022	76.5	830 of 4561	81.8%	★★★★☆
2021	74.3	887 of 4499	80.3%	★★★★☆
2019	63.6	1303 of 4348	70.0%	★★★★☆
2018	64.0	1297 of 4306	69.9%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	60.3	1447 of 4413	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	76.9	651 of 4465	85.4%	★★★★☆
2023	87.3	296 of 4401	93.3%	★★★★★
2022	85.0	357 of 4376	91.8%	★★★★★
2021	81.9	452 of 4329	89.6%	★★★★☆
2019	73.5	709 of 4188	83.1%	★★★★☆
2018	70.6	823 of 4168	80.3%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	71.1	848 of 4520	81.2%	★★★★☆
2024	84.8	312 of 4594	93.2%	★★★★★
2023	93.3	88 of 4521	98.1%	★★★★★
2022	89.4	186 of 4477	95.8%	★★★★★
2021	87.6	196 of 4451	95.6%	★★★★★
2019	81.9	348 of 4309	91.9%	★★★★★
2018	78.0	498 of 4264	88.3%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	69.4	1124 of 4582	75.5%	★★★★☆
2024	78.7	761 of 4647	83.6%	★★★★☆
2023	86.8	454 of 4585	90.1%	★★★★★
2022	78.7	767 of 4563	83.2%	★★★★☆
2021	69.3	1105 of 4498	75.4%	★★★★☆
2019	67.5	1115 of 4357	74.4%	★★★★☆
2018	62.0	1381 of 4319	68.0%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	68.6	777 of 4301	81.9%	★★★★☆
2024	54.6	1603 of 4292	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	93.1	116 of 4086	97.2%	★★★★★

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	80.2	327 of 2254	85.5%	★★★★☆
2021	85.7	219 of 2252	90.3%	★★★★★
2019	71.1	466 of 2193	78.8%	★★★★☆
2018	75.0	370 of 2080	82.2%	★★★★☆
2017	75.6	347 of 2027	82.9%	★★★★☆
2016	70.4	536 of 1987	73.0%	★★★★☆
2015	64.9	674 of 2043	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2014	63.8	683 of 1987	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2013	56.6	874 of 1973	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2012	57.7	818 of 1951	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2011	47.6	1214 of 1895	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2010	31.9	1480 of 1803	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	38.7	1294 of 1763	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	66.3	529 of 1718	69.2%	★★★☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	94.0	53 of 2182	97.6%	★★★★★
2021	97.3	22 of 2118	99.0%	★★★★★
2019	84.2	136 of 2058	93.4%	★★★★★
2018	83.7	132 of 2008	93.4%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	91.3	65 of 1643	96.0%	★★★★★
2021	96.9	23 of 1592	98.6%	★★★★★
2019	86.6	83 of 1445	94.3%	★★★★★
2018	91.2	48 of 1376	96.5%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	79.2	324 of 2221	85.4%	★★★★☆
2021	87.8	166 of 2151	92.3%	★★★★★
2019	61.9	641 of 2047	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	72.2	408 of 2008	79.7%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	86.6	152 of 2077	92.7%	★★★★★
2021	91.7	75 of 2043	96.3%	★★★★★
2019	77.4	277 of 1935	85.7%	★★★★☆
2018	81.4	207 of 1895	89.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	89.8	93 of 2220	95.8%	★★★★★
2021	95.3	36 of 2172	98.3%	★★★★★
2019	81.5	180 of 2073	91.3%	★★★★★
2018	87.3	109 of 2039	94.7%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	77.7	333 of 2228	85.1%	★★★★☆
2021	82.9	251 of 2168	88.4%	★★★★☆
2019	78.6	313 of 2069	84.9%	★★★★☆
2018	75.0	352 of 2030	82.7%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2018	72.4	184 of 1597	88.5%	★★★★☆

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)

Elementary school

At Risk (2022)98th percentile+15 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)83rd percentile+6 vs school

Special Education (2026)82nd percentile+21 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)81st percentile+20 vs school

Male (2026)75th percentile+14 vs school

Hispanic (2026)67th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2026)44th percentile-17 vs school

Middle school

At Risk (2022)98th percentile+12 vs school

English Language Learner (2022)96th percentile+11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2022)96th percentile+10 vs school

Hispanic (2022)93rd percentile+7 vs school

Special Education (2018)88th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2022)85th percentile~ school

Male (2022)85th percentile~ school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Reading56%~ state avg

Mathematics48%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Amigos Por Vida-Friends For Life Charter School

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 EOC Biology (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 Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Spanish Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 5th Grade	STAAR EOC Algebra I End of Course	STAAR EOC Biology 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
Amigos Por Vida-Friends For Life Charter School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	5503 El Camino Del Rey	Houston	77081	Harris County	Amigos Por Vida-Friends For Life Pub Charter School	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 349-9945	524	29	18.0	97.5%	2 (0.4%)	7 (1.3%)	514 (98.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	56.2	1798^th of 4627 public elementary schools	61.1%		73.1	998^th of 4651 public elementary schools	78.5%	800									40.9	55.1	72.1				49.3	46.4	47.1					$9,451
Rodriguez Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5858 Chimney Rock	Houston	77081	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 295-3870	917	51	17.9	97.9%	9 (1.0%)	67 (7.3%)	808 (88.1%)	30 (3.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	33.7	3173^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	31.4%		24.7	3744^th of 4651 public elementary schools	19.5%	571									44.1	23.1	33.1				49.2	39.6	49.6					$9,796
Services-Ninos Charter Elementary	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	5815 Alder Dr	Houston	77081	Harris County	Services-Ninos Charter School	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 667-6145	512	29	17.8	95.5%	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	493 (96.3%)	15 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	26.5	3659^th of 4627 public elementary schools	20.9%		37.9	2934^th of 4651 public elementary schools	36.9%	725	36.1	43.3		41.7	55.2				39.4	52.2	27.4				34.4	52.2	19.4					$11,462
Cunningham Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5100 Gulfton St	Houston	77081	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 295-5223	562	32	17.2	92.9%	8 (1.4%)	111 (19.8%)	418 (74.4%)	20 (3.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.7%)	39	2826^th of 4627 public elementary schools	38.9%		41.8	2654^th of 4651 public elementary schools	42.9%	172		0.0							32.8	50.8	55.9				37.5	30.4	52.2					$10,205
Benavidez Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6262 Gulfton St	Houston	77081	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 778-3350	782	53	14.8	99.6%	32 (4.1%)	42 (5.4%)	515 (65.9%)	184 (23.5%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (0.9%)	10.7	4456^th of 4627 public elementary schools	3.7%		13.9	4338^th of 4651 public elementary schools	6.7%	118	14.3			18.4	25.8				21.4	18.5	27.4				20.9	37.8	32.9					$11,001
School At St George Place	Public	PK, KG-5	5430 Hidalgo St	Houston	77056	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 625-1499	781	43	18.1	54.8%	128 (16.4%)	190 (24.3%)	335 (42.9%)	92 (11.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (4.5%)	62.9	1464^th of 4627 public elementary schools	68.4%		54.9	1852^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	60.2%	388									57.3	58.3	60.0				55.6	49.5	49.6					$8,234
Pilgrim Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	6302 Skyline	Houston	77057	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 458-4672	1,233	68	18.1	97.6%	30 (2.4%)	51 (4.1%)	1,143 (92.7%)	7 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	56.5	1786^th of 4627 public elementary schools	61.4%		47.7	2278^th of 4651 public elementary schools	51.0%	492	0.0						73.5		41.0	54.6	44.4	57.9	65.1	72.1	45.7	73.1	52.8	47.1	43.1	67.2	47.3	$8,375
Mandarin Immersion Magnet School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	5445 W Alabama	Houston	77056	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	No	(713) 295-5276	822	46	17.7	22.4%	94 (11.4%)	87 (10.6%)	149 (18.1%)	405 (49.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	86 (10.5%)	99	19^th of 4627 public elementary schools	99.6%		98.4	42^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	99.1%	23							96.8	100.0	93.4	89.5	97.4	91.2	86.9	90.1	92.3	96.5	98.7	80.2		84.3	58.0	$7,823
Services-Ninos Charter Elementary II	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	5919 Dashwood Dr	Houston	77081	Harris County	Services-Ninos Charter School	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 432-9400	246	11	22.5	98.8%	1 (0.4%)	3 (1.2%)	242 (98.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33.5	3189^th of 4627 public elementary schools	31.1%		49.3	2182^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	53.1%	1007	18.2	23.1	45.5	9.1	15.4	36.4			12.5	30.4	65.0				12.5	45.5	50.0					$9,343
Baker-Ripley Charter School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	6500 Rookin St Bldg A	Houston	77074	Harris County	Bakerripley Community Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 273-3731	398	25	15.7	97.2%	47 (11.8%)	58 (14.6%)	161 (40.5%)	118 (29.6%)	7 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.8%)	36.3	2996^th of 4627 public elementary schools	35.2%		21.9	3921^st of 4651 public elementary schools	15.7%	925									34.6	50.8	35.5				32.7	49.2	46.8					$11,671

Frequently Asked Questions about Amigos Por Vida-Friends For Life Charter School

What is the racial makeup of Amigos Por Vida-Friends For Life Charter School?

Students at Amigos Por Vida-Friends For Life Charter School are 98% Hispanic, 1% African American.

How many students attend Amigos Por Vida-Friends For Life Charter School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 524 students attended Amigos Por Vida-Friends For Life Charter School.

Is Amigos Por Vida-Friends For Life Charter School a good school?

Amigos Por Vida-Friends For Life Charter School ranks 1798^th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Amigos Por Vida-Friends For Life Charter School in?

Amigos Por Vida-Friends For Life Pub Charter School

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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.