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Ward Elementary

Q: Is Ward Elementary a good school?

Ward Elementary ranks 2505 th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

2505^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 46% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Ward Elementary is a K-5 school in the Abilene Independent School District (Isd), serving 502 students in a suburban area near the southern edge of Abilene, TX. Once a high-performing school ranking in the 76th to 81st percentile statewide between 2015 and 2017, Ward has experienced a significant decline over the past decade, now ranking in the 46th percentile with a 2-star rating for the 2025-2026 school year. This places it in the middle of the pack statewide, a stark contrast to its former status, and highlights a long-term downward trend that sets it apart from nearby schools like Austin Elementary, which has shown relative stability in the 58th to 66th percentile range.

Ward Elementary sits on the border of a performance divide between two districts. While it is the highest-ranked school in its immediate Abilene ISD cluster for the current year, it is significantly outperformed by Wylie Independent School District (Isd) schools, such as Wylie West Intermediate and Wylie East Elementary, which consistently rank in the 80th to 90th percentile. A notable bright spot is Ward's exceptional performance in 4th Grade Reading, with 67.05% of students proficient in 2024-2025, far exceeding the district average of 47.49% and state average of 53.73%. However, this strength does not extend to other grades or subjects, and mathematics is a persistent weakness, with proficiency rates below state averages in every grade level for the past three years.

Ward Elementary shows inconsistent results across student groups, performing relatively well for English Language Learner (ELL) students (64th percentile) but struggling with others, such as Hispanic students (20th percentile) and Low Socioeconomic Status students (23rd percentile). Interestingly, the school has a lower student-to-teacher ratio (15.3) than many higher-performing peers, including Wylie West Intermediate (17.0), and its per-student spending ($9,266) is comparable to top-performing Wylie schools. This suggests that performance issues are not due to a lack of resources but rather the effectiveness of instructional strategies, making it a school with potential for improvement if targeted interventions are implemented.

502

Students ?

15.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,393

Per pupil spending ?

57.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3750 Paint Brush
Abilene, TX 79606-2679

(325) 690-3666

District: Abilene Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Ward Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Clack Middle
High:	Cooper High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

39.0%

Hispanic:

39.0%

African American:

12.7%

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Compare Ward Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 76th percentile in 2016 → 46th in 2026

Strengths

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Abilene Independent School District (Isd)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (45% vs 51% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 30 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school45%

District avg39%

Texas avg51%

2,505^th of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Bottom 46%▼ down 30 pts since 2016

From top 24% (2016) to bottom 46% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 11Elementary Schools in the Abilene Independent School District (Isd)

780^th of 951Abilene Independent School District (Isd) 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	43.1	2505 of 4627	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	51.1	2072 of 4651	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.0	2449 of 4710	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.8	2312 of 4647	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.6	1951 of 4581	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	58.4	1600 of 4578	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.6	1588 of 4479	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.9	1257 of 4359	71.2%	★★★★☆
2017	76.2	823 of 4329	81.0%	★★★★☆
2016	74.4	1019 of 4286	76.2%	★★★★☆
2015	72.4	1137 of 4320	73.7%	★★★★☆
2014	79.7	734 of 4260	82.8%	★★★★☆
2013	70.3	1163 of 4221	72.4%	★★★★☆
2012	62.4	1568 of 4206	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2011	57.7	1954 of 4095	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2010	74.2	827 of 3937	79.0%	★★★★☆
2009	72.8	910 of 3884	76.6%	★★★★☆
2008	79.1	518 of 3768	86.3%	★★★★☆
2007	78.8	508 of 3724	86.4%	★★★★☆
2006	84.3	199 of 3476	94.3%	★★★★★
2005	82.8	296 of 3475	91.5%	★★★★★
2004	86.7	108 of 3465	96.9%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	53.8	944 of 2406	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	43.2	1062 of 1905	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.1	1183 of 2443	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.1	1379 of 2443	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	59.7	782 of 2421	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.6	738 of 2444	69.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.8	654 of 2515	74.0%	★★★★☆
2018	75.8	352 of 2483	85.8%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2023	26.3	863 of 1015	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	37.4	711 of 957	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	56.9	423 of 967	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	5.7	964 of 1005	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	35.0	3165 of 4461	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	31.8	3233 of 4331	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	47.5	2150 of 4295	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	36.2	2941 of 4240	30.6%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	58.1	596 of 1643	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	28.9	2866 of 3668	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	41.4	2164 of 3556	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	65.6	877 of 3487	74.8%	★★★★☆
2021	94.7	86 of 3446	97.5%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	45.6	2381 of 4575	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	56.8	1433 of 3744	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.6	2210 of 4658	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.8	2240 of 4588	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.4	1824 of 4561	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	61.5	1431 of 4499	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.9	1608 of 4348	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.2	1479 of 4306	65.7%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	36.6	2494 of 3075	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	45.0	1845 of 2619	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	53.7	1759 of 2980	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	65.1	1103 of 2958	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	64.9	1199 of 3006	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	54.1	1841 of 3184	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	51.7	1891 of 3106	39.1%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	29.3	3515 of 4413	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	33.6	2635 of 3644	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	34.6	3159 of 4465	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	43.8	2507 of 4401	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.4	2787 of 4376	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	53.1	1743 of 4329	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.9	2137 of 4188	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	55.7	1615 of 4168	61.3%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	31.5	3490 of 4520	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	35.8	2594 of 3705	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.6	2447 of 4594	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.3	2722 of 4521	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.3	2528 of 4477	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	49.6	2061 of 4451	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.3	1474 of 4309	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.2	1030 of 4264	75.8%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	39.2	2818 of 4582	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	44.2	2010 of 3739	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.9	2579 of 4647	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.1	2379 of 4585	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	51.5	2085 of 4563	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	55.6	1708 of 4498	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	59.0	1509 of 4357	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.8	1182 of 4319	72.6%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	30.4	889 of 1128	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	41.3	703 of 1099	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	13.7	895 of 961	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	15.9	1004 of 1112	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	69.5	277 of 1046	73.5%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	41.5	2361 of 4301	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	41.4	2063 of 3549	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.4	2570 of 4292	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.1	2369 of 4086	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.4	2254 of 3952	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	66.6	678 of 3799	82.2%	★★★★☆
2019	59.4	964 of 3684	73.8%	★★★★☆
2018	48.7	1490 of 3558	58.1%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	51.3	1518 of 3006	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	56.6	1106 of 2612	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	41.4	1960 of 3108	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.5	2248 of 3106	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	39.1	2070 of 3082	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	45.8	1665 of 3082	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	55.5	1357 of 3142	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.6	1415 of 3127	54.7%	★★★☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2026)64th percentile+18 vs school

African American (2026)61st percentile+15 vs school

White (2026)50th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2026)48th percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)45th percentile~ school

Male (2026)38th percentile-7 vs school

At Risk (2022)29th percentile-28 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)23rd percentile-23 vs school

Multi-racial (2024)21st percentile-27 vs school

Hispanic (2026)20th percentile-26 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)19th percentile-27 vs school

Asian (2023)15th percentile-35 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Reading51%-4 vs state

Mathematics40%-7 vs state

★

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Schools Near Ward Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				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 Reading 3rd Grade	STAAR Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 5th Grade	Total
Ward Elementary	Public	K-5	3750 Paint Brush	Abilene	79606	Taylor County	Abilene Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(325) 690-3666	502	33	15.3	57.8%	196 (39.0%)	64 (12.7%)	196 (39.0%)	20 (4.0%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.6%)	43.1	2505^th of 4627 public elementary schools	45.9%		51.1	2072^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	55.5%	433	52.1	42.1	58.3	39.6	46.6	33.3	$8,393
Alcorta Elementary	Public	K-5	2650 S 32nd St	Abilene	79605	Taylor County	Abilene Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(325) 690-3602	410	24	17.2	67.3%	168 (41.0%)	50 (12.2%)	166 (40.5%)	6 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.9%)	23.3	3861^st of 4627 public elementary schools	16.6%		39.1	2829^th of 4651 public elementary schools	39.2%	1032	32.9	49.3	40.0	24.3	30.8	36.0	$9,391
Austin Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2341 Greenbriar Dr	Abilene	79605	Taylor County	Abilene Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(325) 690-3920	729	43	17.1	52.8%	367 (50.3%)	51 (7.0%)	259 (35.5%)	8 (1.1%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	41 (5.6%)	43.3	2500^th of 4627 public elementary schools	46.0%		59.5	1602^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	65.6%	898	45.2	58.9	50.8	38.3	36.2	44.3	$8,294
Bassetti Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5749 Hwy 277 S	Abilene	79606	Taylor County	Abilene Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(325) 690-3720	546	36	15.1	71.6%	175 (32.1%)	85 (15.6%)	215 (39.4%)	18 (3.3%)	7 (1.3%)	5 (0.9%)	41 (7.5%)	26.5	3657^th of 4627 public elementary schools	21.0%		40.4	2744^th of 4651 public elementary schools	41.0%	913	25.3	57.5	49.3	23.3	34.2	30.4	$8,679
Bowie Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2034 Jeanette St	Abilene	79602	Taylor County	Abilene Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(325) 671-4770	473	35	13.4	86.9%	149 (31.5%)	42 (8.9%)	260 (55.0%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (3.6%)	14.8	4308^th of 4627 public elementary schools	6.9%		21.8	3926^th of 4651 public elementary schools	15.6%	382	25.6	29.9	42.2	23.0	31.0	28.9	$9,893
Dyess Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6733 Jennings Dr	Abilene	79607	Taylor County	Abilene Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(325) 690-3795	621	37	16.9	66.0%	254 (40.9%)	77 (12.4%)	210 (33.8%)	8 (1.3%)	3 (0.5%)	5 (0.8%)	64 (10.3%)	37.4	2921^st of 4627 public elementary schools	36.9%		42.2	2625^th of 4651 public elementary schools	43.6%	296	47.8	39.4	55.3	40.0	36.4	38.2	$7,926
Wylie West Elementary	Public	K-2	7650 Hardwick Rd	Abilene	79606	Taylor County	Wylie Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(325) 692-6554	673	43	15.8	24.1%	412 (61.2%)	28 (4.2%)	159 (23.6%)	33 (4.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	39 (5.8%)								(n/a)							$6,320
Bonham Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	717 Buccaneer Dr	Abilene	79605	Taylor County	Abilene Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(325) 690-3745	481	34	14.0	77.8%	158 (32.8%)	56 (11.6%)	243 (50.5%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.0%)	36.2	3004^th of 4627 public elementary schools	35.1%		38.7	2867^th of 4651 public elementary schools	38.4%	137	40.0	38.0	62.2	27.1	42.3	44.6	$10,293
Wylie West Intermediate	Public	3-4	3158 Beltway S	Abilene	79606	Taylor County	Wylie Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(325) 692-7961	465	27	17.0	20.4%	286 (61.5%)	18 (3.9%)	112 (24.1%)	18 (3.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.2%)	86.8	513^th of 4627 public elementary schools	88.9%		88	450^th of 4651 public elementary schools	90.3%	63	62.2	72.2		65.3	70.9		$7,673
Wylie East Elementary	Public	K-3	7401 Maple St	Abilene	79602	Taylor County	Wylie Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(325) 437-2330	776	54	14.4	26.4%	462 (59.5%)	55 (7.1%)	193 (24.9%)	14 (1.8%)	6 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	44 (5.7%)								(n/a)	70.6			59.2			$7,310

Frequently Asked Questions about Ward Elementary

What schools do graduates of Ward Elementary attend?

Students who attend Ward Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Clack Middle
High : Cooper High School

What district is Ward Elementary in?

Abilene Independent School District (Isd)

How many students attend Ward Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 502 students attended Ward Elementary.

Is Ward Elementary a good school?

Ward Elementary ranks 2505^th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Ward Elementary?

Students at Ward Elementary are 39% White, 39% Hispanic, 13% African American, 5% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

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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.