Summary
Kujawa Elementary in Houston, TX, serves 562 students in grades 1st through 5th within the Aldine Independent School District (Isd), operating in a high-poverty area where over 85% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. After years of ranking in the bottom 20th percentile statewide, the school has shown a dramatic turnaround, jumping to the 36th percentile in the 2025-2026 school year—its highest ranking in nearly a decade. This positive shift stands out compared to nearby schools like Carmichael Elementary, which has seen a slight decline, and Carter Academy, which has remained stagnant.
One of Kujawa’s biggest strengths is its exceptional performance in Spanish-language math assessments, where 3rd graders consistently outperform both the district and state averages. For example, in 2024-2025, 64% of students taking the STAAR Spanish Math test were proficient, compared to just 27.5% district-wide. This suggests the school’s bilingual program is highly effective at building strong math skills. However, the school’s success is uneven: while Hispanic students rank in the 68th percentile statewide, African American students rank in the 18th percentile, highlighting a significant gap that needs attention. Nearby Impact Leadership Academy, just 1.56 miles away, serves a similar demographic but performs much better (79th percentile), likely due to its small size and low student-teacher ratio of 8.6:1.
Science remains a universal weakness for Kujawa and its peers, with 5th-grade proficiency at 17.35% in 2024-2025—below the state average of 29.57% but slightly above the district average. Spending per student ($11,872) is in the middle of the pack compared to nearby schools, reinforcing that how money is used matters more than how much is spent. For parents considering Kujawa, the school’s recent upward trend and strong bilingual math program are promising, but the uneven performance across student groups and ongoing science challenges are important factors to weigh.
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