Ume Preparatory Academy - Duncanville

Ume Preparatory Academy - Duncanville is a K-6 charter school in Duncanville, TX, serving 258 students within the Ume Preparatory Academy district, which ranks in the top 15% of districts statewide. The school has consistently earned a 3-star rating over the past seven years, and its student body is notably more economically stable than surrounding schools, with about 45% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch compared to over 84% at nearby Duncanville Independent School District (Isd) elementary schools.

Ume Prep - Duncanville shows clear strengths in upper elementary grades, particularly in reading and science. In 6th grade reading, the school scored 61.54% proficient—8 points above the state average and significantly higher than nearby Life School Cedar Hill (48.48%). The school also excels in serving specific student groups, ranking in the top 20% statewide for both White students and Special Education students. However, performance for Hispanic students ranks in the bottom 21% statewide, a sharp decline from two years prior. The school's results can vary significantly year to year, suggesting that support programs may not yet be consistently effective across all cohorts.

Compared to the struggling Duncanville ISD schools—which rank in the bottom 10% of the state and spend significantly more per student (e.g., S Gus Alexander Junior Elementary spends $12,871 per student but ranks in the 1st percentile)—Ume Prep - Duncanville achieves better results with fewer resources ($7,423 per student). Interestingly, its sister campus, Ume Preparatory Academy, just 2.74 miles away, consistently outperforms the Duncanville campus in math and reading across most grades, highlighting variability within the charter network itself.