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Emerson Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

3739^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 19% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Emerson Elementary in Amarillo, TX, is a PK-5 school in the Amarillo Independent School District (Isd) serving about 500 students in a high-poverty area, where over 95% qualify for free or reduced lunch. This school has a remarkable history of success, especially with its "At Risk" students, who once ranked in the 95th percentile statewide—a rare achievement that set Emerson apart from nearby schools like Glenwood Elementary, which has remained consistently strong. However, Emerson has experienced a dramatic decline, dropping from the 80th percentile in 2021-2022 to the 19th percentile in 2025-2026, a steeper fall than any peer, including its closest neighbor Rogers Elementary, which now outperforms it despite similar demographics.

A standout strength is Emerson’s bilingual program, where Spanish-language STAAR Reading scores in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades (37%, 52%, and 53% proficient) far exceed state averages, showing effective literacy development in students' native language. Yet, the school faces a troubling gender gap: female students dropped from the 65th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 28th, while males fell from the 51st to the 15th percentile, indicating a steeper decline for boys. Additionally, 5th-grade performance in Math and Science has collapsed, with only 19.75% proficient in Math and 8.97% in Science, far below district and state levels, suggesting systemic issues in upper elementary STEM instruction.

The most puzzling finding is the collapse of Emerson’s once-exceptional support for "At Risk" students, which was a key differentiator from schools like Forest Hill Elementary and Hamlet Elementary. Since per-student spending ($10,748) and student-teacher ratios (14.3) are average for the area, the decline likely stems from changes in instructional strategy or school culture rather than resources. For parents, Emerson offers a strong bilingual foundation and a proven track record with vulnerable students, but the rapid drop in overall performance—especially in STEM and for boys—requires urgent attention to reverse the trend.

500

Students ?

14.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,996

Per pupil spending ?

95%

Free/discounted lunch ?

600 N Cleveland
Amarillo, TX 79107-5394

(806) 326-4350

District: Amarillo Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Emerson Elementary usually attend:

High:	Amtech Career Academy
	Palo Duro High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

90.0%

White:

5.4%

African American:

2.8%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 46th percentile in 2016 → 19th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (38% vs 50% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (19th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 27 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school38%

District avg48%

Texas avg50%

3,739^th of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Bottom 19%▼ down 27 pts since 2016

From bottom 46% (2016) to bottom 19% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

29^th of 33Elementary Schools in the Amarillo Independent School District (Isd)

474^th of 951Amarillo 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	25.2	3739 of 4627	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	42.7	2594 of 4651	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	57.1	1749 of 4710	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.7	1716 of 4647	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	75.7	923 of 4581	79.9%	★★★★☆
2021	68.3	1189 of 4578	74.0%	★★★★☆
2019	62.6	1388 of 4479	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.4	2170 of 4359	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2017	39.4	2555 of 4329	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	50.1	2300 of 4286	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	34.9	3117 of 4320	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	32.0	3304 of 4260	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	29.2	3428 of 4221	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	21.4	3803 of 4206	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	22.6	3669 of 4095	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	29.6	3288 of 3937	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	31.0	3150 of 3884	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	61.0	1604 of 3768	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2007	47.9	2305 of 3724	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2006	40.0	2506 of 3476	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	27.0	2943 of 3475	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	47.7	2142 of 3465	38.2%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2018	71.1	452 of 2483	81.8%	★★★★☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	88.2	226 of 4461	94.9%	★★★★★
2021	81.3	338 of 4331	92.2%	★★★★★
2019	86.9	217 of 4295	94.9%	★★★★★
2018	60.9	1258 of 4240	70.3%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	46.4	1475 of 2918	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	58.5	1244 of 3668	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	72.7	617 of 3556	82.6%	★★★★☆
2022	88.4	162 of 3487	95.4%	★★★★★
2021	85.8	221 of 3446	93.6%	★★★★★
2019	71.9	570 of 3333	82.9%	★★★★☆
2018	52.3	1365 of 3226	57.7%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	32.5	3283 of 4575	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	53.9	1564 of 3744	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.0	1629 of 4658	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	44.5	2511 of 4588	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	60.0	1561 of 4561	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	67.3	1176 of 4499	73.9%	★★★★☆
2019	66.6	1166 of 4348	73.2%	★★★★☆
2018	45.8	2247 of 4306	47.8%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2019	51.7	1960 of 3184	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	32.3	2552 of 3106	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	34.1	3175 of 4413	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	47.0	1924 of 3644	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	62.2	1322 of 4465	70.4%	★★★★☆
2023	66.8	1098 of 4401	75.1%	★★★★☆
2022	83.8	390 of 4376	91.1%	★★★★★
2021	77.6	597 of 4329	86.2%	★★★★☆
2019	70.1	876 of 4188	79.1%	★★★★☆
2018	52.0	1826 of 4168	56.2%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	34.6	3262 of 4520	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	52.5	1608 of 3705	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.4	1182 of 4594	74.3%	★★★★☆
2023	67.9	1033 of 4521	77.2%	★★★★☆
2022	86.4	266 of 4477	94.1%	★★★★★
2021	79.7	436 of 4451	90.2%	★★★★★
2019	76.8	510 of 4309	88.2%	★★★★☆
2018	59.1	1422 of 4264	66.7%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	22.7	3885 of 4582	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	27.5	2930 of 3739	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	48.3	2292 of 4647	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.6	1186 of 4585	74.1%	★★★★☆
2022	86.0	468 of 4563	89.7%	★★★★☆
2021	68.8	1125 of 4498	75.0%	★★★★☆
2019	58.8	1517 of 4357	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.0	2153 of 4319	50.2%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	26.3	3634 of 4301	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	40.0	2135 of 3549	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	71.3	743 of 4292	82.7%	★★★★☆
2023	69.1	731 of 4086	82.1%	★★★★☆
2022	75.3	500 of 3952	87.3%	★★★★☆
2021	83.8	253 of 3799	93.3%	★★★★★
2019	60.0	944 of 3684	74.4%	★★★★☆
2018	31.4	2628 of 3558	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2018	52.9	1448 of 3127	53.7%	★★★☆☆

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)

At Risk (2022)95th percentile+15 vs school

African American (2018)82nd percentile+32 vs school

White (2018)54th percentile+3 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)49th percentile+5 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2019)38th percentile-31 vs school

Female (2026)28th percentile+9 vs school

Hispanic (2026)28th percentile+9 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)28th percentile+9 vs school

Special Education (2026)16th percentile-4 vs school

Male (2026)15th percentile-4 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Reading41%-13 vs state

Mathematics32%-16 vs state

5.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, October 13, 2010

The staff at this school will go over and above to make sure every students succeeds. Each student is treated with respect and given opportunity to show their gifts through learning. This newly built school carries with it school pride as it displays college banners outside of each classroom. Students learn that there are no excuses to hold them back from going to college. My child is in the second grade and reading above grade level because of the care and dedication from the teachers and staff. The after school program allows parents like me to have my child in an extended day learning environment that helps her with her school work. Close Quote

Schools Near Emerson 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 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
Emerson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	600 N Cleveland	Amarillo	79107	Potter County	Amarillo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(806) 326-4350	500	35	14.3	95.0%	27 (5.4%)	14 (2.8%)	450 (90.0%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.0%)	25.2	3739^th of 4627 public elementary schools	19.2%		42.7	2594^th of 4651 public elementary schools	44.2%	1145	37.0	51.5	52.6				35.7	36.1	48.8	35.2	42.7	19.8	$8,996
Rogers Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	920 N Mirror	Amarillo	79107	Potter County	Amarillo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(806) 326-5150	490	34	14.4	93.7%	29 (5.9%)	35 (7.1%)	401 (81.8%)	20 (4.1%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	36.6	2981^st of 4627 public elementary schools	35.6%		24.9	3731^st of 4651 public elementary schools	19.8%	750							36.4	54.9	36.5	39.3	52.4	21.2	$10,406
Sanborn Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	700 S Roberts	Amarillo	79102	Potter County	Amarillo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(806) 326-5250	404	29	13.9	93.3%	36 (8.9%)	14 (3.5%)	347 (85.9%)	4 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	21.7	3955^th of 4627 public elementary schools	14.5%		33	3254^th of 4651 public elementary schools	30.0%	701	40.0	33.3	12.5	16.7	0.0		38.9	37.5	39.0	32.0	29.4	31.6	$10,822
Forest Hill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3515 Amarillo Blvd E	Amarillo	79107	Potter County	Amarillo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(806) 326-4400	484	35	13.6	94.6%	41 (8.5%)	24 (5.0%)	393 (81.2%)	18 (3.7%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.6%)	42.2	2580^th of 4627 public elementary schools	44.2%		51.4	2061^st of 4651 public elementary schools	55.7%	519	29.2	25.0	50.0			12.5	41.0	34.0	58.3	28.6	38.8	78.0	$10,073
Whittier Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2004 N Marrs	Amarillo	79107	Potter County	Amarillo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(806) 326-5600	440	31	14.0	92.3%	53 (12.0%)	34 (7.7%)	318 (72.3%)	27 (6.1%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.1%)	23.7	3832^nd of 4627 public elementary schools	17.2%		35.9	3055^th of 4651 public elementary schools	34.3%	777	26.1						54.8	30.0	41.3	38.5	11.7	31.3	$10,557
Hamlet Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	705 Sycamore	Amarillo	79107	Potter County	Amarillo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(806) 326-4500	280	22	12.6	97.9%	32 (11.4%)	150 (53.6%)	58 (20.7%)	25 (8.9%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.6%)	36.2	3002^nd of 4627 public elementary schools	35.1%		9.9	4488^th of 4651 public elementary schools	3.5%	1486							54.0	35.0	43.6	23.5	37.5	54.6	$12,360
George Washington Carver Elementary Academy	Public	2-5	1905 W 12th	Amarillo	79107	Potter County	Amarillo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(806) 326-4150	321	22	14.8	76.3%	62 (19.3%)	105 (32.7%)	128 (39.9%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (7.2%)	16.4	4224^th of 4627 public elementary schools	8.7%		37.2	2974^th of 4651 public elementary schools	36.1%	1250							39.5	29.3	44.6	25.0	12.4	28.9	$8,565
Glenwood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2407 S Houston	Amarillo	79103	Potter County	Amarillo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(806) 326-4450	455	30	15.0	90.5%	36 (7.9%)	18 (4.0%)	384 (84.4%)	8 (1.8%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	6 (1.3%)	70.4	1117^th of 4627 public elementary schools	75.9%		57.6	1689^th of 4651 public elementary schools	63.7%	572	54.6	45.5	50.0			23.1	57.1	54.6	85.3	47.9	62.9	50.9	$8,919
George Washington Carver Early Childhood Academy	Public	PK, KG-1	1800 N Travis	Amarillo	79107	Potter County	Amarillo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(806) 326-4200	325	21	15.5	72.6%	80 (24.6%)	80 (24.6%)	148 (45.5%)	2 (0.6%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	11 (3.4%)								(n/a)													$10,303
Lawndale Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2215 S Bivins	Amarillo	79103	Potter County	Amarillo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(806) 326-4700	352	24	14.5	86.9%	71 (20.2%)	13 (3.7%)	259 (73.6%)	3 (0.9%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.1%)	40.8	2677^th of 4627 public elementary schools	42.1%		38.3	2900^th of 4651 public elementary schools	37.6%	223							39.6	50.0	58.5	31.3	55.0	34.6	$10,206

Frequently Asked Questions about Emerson Elementary

How many students attend Emerson Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 500 students attended Emerson Elementary.

What district is Emerson Elementary in?

Amarillo Independent School District (Isd)

What schools do graduates of Emerson Elementary attend?

Students who attend Emerson Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Amtech Career Academy
High : Palo Duro High School

Is Emerson Elementary a good school?

Emerson Elementary ranks in the bottom 19.2% of Texas elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Emerson Elementary?

Students at Emerson Elementary are 90% Hispanic, 5% White, 3% African American.

Rate Emerson Elementary!

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Latest Texas data All new data »

2025–26 STAAR, STAAR EOC & STAAR Spanish test scoresJun 12, 2026

2021–22 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 10, 2026

2023–24 dropout rates & graduation ratesSep 17, 2025

2024–25 STAAR EOC & STAAR Spanish test scoresJun 23, 2025

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.