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KIPP Explore Academy

Q: Is KIPP Explore Academy a good school?

KIPP Explore Academy ranks 3119 th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades PK, KG-4

3119^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 33% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

KIPP Explore Academy is a public charter elementary school in Houston, TX, serving 756 students in grades PK-4 as part of the KIPP Texas Public Schools network, where over 92% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. This school stands out for its ability to outperform its own district in both Reading and Math—for example, in 2024-2025, 4th-grade Reading proficiency reached 56.8% compared to the district's 43.04%—yet it does so with larger class sizes (a student-teacher ratio of 20.5:1) and lower per-student spending ($9,516) than nearby Houston Independent School District (Isd) schools. However, its overall performance has been inconsistent, dropping from a 54th percentile ranking in 2024-2025 to a 33rd percentile in 2025-2026, with recent declines in both Reading and Math that now fall below state averages.

Reading is a relative strength for KIPP Explore Academy, but Math remains a persistent challenge. In 2024-2025, 4th-grade Reading was 3 points above the state average, while Math was 2.6 points below—a gap that widened significantly in 2025-2026. The school shows notable success with "At Risk" students (86th percentile in 2021-2022) and improving performance with English Language Learners and low-income students. Yet, a critical weakness is its support for Special Education students, who ranked in the 1st percentile statewide for two consecutive years, a red flag that demands attention. This contrast highlights a school that excels with some groups but struggles to serve others effectively.

Compared to nearby schools, KIPP Explore Academy offers a mixed picture. Its closest neighbor, Henderson J Elementary (0.27 miles away), serves a similarly high-poverty population but achieves an 82nd percentile ranking, showing that strong results are possible in this community. Meanwhile, Cage Elementary (0.88 miles away) excels with an exceptional bilingual program, with 3rd-grade Spanish Math proficiency at 77.42% versus a state average of 27.95%. For parents, KIPP Explore Academy offers a larger school environment with efficient spending and some strong subgroup outcomes, but its inconsistency and failure to support Special Education students are significant concerns to weigh.

756

Students ?

20.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$7,717

Per pupil spending ?

92.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5402 Lawndale St
Houston, TX 77023

(832) 230-0547

District: KIPP Texas Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

91.0%

African American:

6.3%

White:

0.8%

See top rated Texas elementary schools

Compare KIPP Explore Academy to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 54th percentile in 2025 → 33rd in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (40% vs 49% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped from its 54th-percentile peak (2025) to 33rd (2026)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school40%

District avg42%

Texas avg49%

3,119^th of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Bottom 33%▲ up 4 pts since 2021

From bottom 28% (2021) to bottom 33% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

11^th of 22Elementary Schools in the KIPP Texas Public Schools

587^th of 951KIPP Texas Public Schools 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	34.5	3119 of 4627	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	50.5	2120 of 4651	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	36.5	3058 of 4710	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.7	2680 of 4647	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.6	2165 of 4581	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	28.4	3275 of 4578	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	32.5	1401 of 1905	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	74.6	626 of 4461	86.0%	★★★★☆
2021	39.9	2576 of 4331	40.5%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	53.7	1184 of 2918	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	38.7	2302 of 3668	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.4	2767 of 3556	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	49.8	1660 of 3487	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	33.5	2458 of 3446	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	36.9	2978 of 4575	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	50.5	1715 of 3744	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	25.1	3785 of 4658	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	38.0	2915 of 4588	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	61.1	1518 of 4561	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	34.9	2867 of 4499	36.3%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	42.2	2618 of 4413	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	59.7	1243 of 3644	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	41.3	2697 of 4465	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.3	2167 of 4401	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.4	1552 of 4376	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	36.2	2816 of 4329	35.0%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	47.3	2327 of 4520	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	60.1	1228 of 3705	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.8	2290 of 4594	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.4	1627 of 4521	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.2	1289 of 4477	71.2%	★★★★☆
2021	44.0	2462 of 4451	44.7%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	34.6	3135 of 4582	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.4	1810 of 3739	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	43.8	2580 of 4647	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.6	2535 of 4585	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.9	2862 of 4563	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	25.2	3517 of 4498	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	24.5	3759 of 4301	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	10.1	3510 of 3549	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.6	4253 of 4292	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	15.9	3960 of 4086	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	37.7	2447 of 3952	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	49.6	1452 of 3799	61.8%	★★★☆☆

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)

At Risk (2022)86th percentile+33 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)59th percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)49th percentile+16 vs school

Hispanic (2026)41st percentile+8 vs school

Female (2026)35th percentile~ school

Male (2026)32nd percentile~ school

African American (2025)26th percentile-28 vs school

Special Education (2026)13th percentile-20 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics41%-5 vs state

Reading39%-13 vs state

★

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Schools Near KIPP Explore Academy

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 Reading (2026)			STAAR Mathematics (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 Reading 3rd Grade	STAAR Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 5th Grade	Total
KIPP Explore Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-4	5402 Lawndale St	Houston	77023	Harris County	KIPP Texas Public Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(832) 230-0547	756	37	20.5	92.1%	6 (0.8%)	48 (6.3%)	688 (91.0%)	5 (0.7%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.5%)	34.5	3119^th of 4627 public elementary schools	32.6%		50.5	2120^th of 4651 public elementary schools	54.4%	999							38.5	40.2		34.2	48.0		$7,717
Henderson J Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1800 Dismuke	Houston	77023	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 924-1730	443	27	16.4	95.9%	4 (0.9%)	11 (2.5%)	424 (95.7%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	78.3	825^th of 4627 public elementary schools	82.2%		72.6	1022^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	78.0%	197	27.3	44.0	64.7	50.0	40.0	47.1	40.9	72.7	78.1	40.9	61.4	80.5	$8,785
Carrillo Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	960 S Wayside Dr	Houston	77023	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 924-1870	346	19	18.2	82.9%	7 (2.0%)	7 (2.0%)	329 (95.1%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31.3	3351^st of 4627 public elementary schools	27.6%		30	3435^th of 4651 public elementary schools	26.1%	84							30.4	38.6	48.0	32.6	43.2	46.0	$11,435
Cage Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4528 Leeland St	Houston	77023	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 924-1700	319	26	12.3	89.3%	6 (1.9%)	17 (5.3%)	293 (91.8%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	68.2	1221^st of 4627 public elementary schools	73.6%		70.9	1093^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	76.5%	128	0.0	50.0		52.9	60.6		77.8	61.7	66.7	33.3	73.3	42.6	$16,690
Lantrip Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	100 Telephone Rd	Houston	77023	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 924-1670	405	28	14.5	76.5%	33 (8.1%)	29 (7.2%)	338 (83.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	57.3	1743^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	62.3%		32.3	3289^th of 4651 public elementary schools	29.3%	1546							55.1	51.0	58.7	42.9	46.9	59.6	$10,665
Tijerina Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6501 Sherman St	Houston	77011	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 924-1790	333	20	16.6	99.1%	3 (0.9%)	6 (1.8%)	322 (96.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	34.2	3139^th of 4627 public elementary schools	32.2%		43.9	2507^th of 4651 public elementary schools	46.1%	632				93.3			47.2	35.1	39.5	61.9	43.9	34.2	$12,366
Burnet Elementary	Public	K-5	5403 Canal St	Houston	77011	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 924-1780	324	18	18.0	90.1%	4 (1.2%)	12 (3.7%)	306 (94.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	32.6	3255^th of 4627 public elementary schools	29.7%		24.4	3770^th of 4651 public elementary schools	18.9%	515							37.0	43.2	50.9	37.0	40.0	36.8	$12,345
Laurenzo Early Childhood Center	Public	PK-K	205 N Delmar	Houston	77011	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 924-0350	240	13	18.7	90.8%	5 (2.1%)	22 (9.2%)	212 (88.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)													$10,110
Briscoe Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	321 Forest Hill	Houston	77011	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 924-1740	177	17	10.4	93.2%	2 (1.1%)	2 (1.1%)	173 (97.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34	3154^th of 4627 public elementary schools	31.8%		56.4	1758^th of 4651 public elementary schools	62.2%	1396			20.0				57.1	33.3	63.2	33.3	14.8	39.1	$14,119
Peck Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5001 Martin Luther King Jr Bl	Houston	77021	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 845-7463	288	27	10.6	97.2%	4 (1.4%)	165 (57.3%)	115 (39.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.4%)	29.8	3434^th of 4627 public elementary schools	25.8%		38.8	2857^th of 4651 public elementary schools	38.6%	577				37.5			46.2	31.3	51.4	25.7	44.9	32.4	$12,848

Frequently Asked Questions about KIPP Explore Academy

Is KIPP Explore Academy a good school?

KIPP Explore Academy ranks 3119^th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend KIPP Explore Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 756 students attended KIPP Explore Academy.

What is the racial makeup of KIPP Explore Academy?

Students at KIPP Explore Academy are 91% Hispanic, 6% African American.

What district is KIPP Explore Academy in?

KIPP Texas Public Schools

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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.