Hilltop Elementary

Hilltop Elementary in Azle, TX, is a PK-4 school serving 537 students within the Azle Independent School District (Isd), and it has experienced a concerning three-year decline in its statewide performance ranking, dropping from the 47th percentile to the 21st percentile.

The most significant concern for parents is the school's sharp decline in mathematics proficiency. In the most recent testing year, only about 26% of 3rd graders and 34% of 4th graders were proficient in math, which is dramatically lower than both district and state averages. This is a stark contrast to nearby Silver Creek Elementary, just 1.8 miles away, where 45% of 3rd graders and 60% of 4th graders were proficient in math. While Hilltop has a slightly higher student-teacher ratio (16.2) and a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced lunch (48.23%) than Silver Creek, the performance gap is substantial. A specific bright spot is the school's work with its Gifted and Talented students, who ranked in the 53rd percentile, showing that the school can effectively challenge its highest-achieving learners.

Another critical finding is a "4th grade reading cliff," where reading proficiency dropped from nearly 49% in 2024-2025 to just 37% in 2025-2026—the largest single-grade decline in the entire Azle ISD. This suggests a potential issue with the 4th-grade reading curriculum or instruction that warrants immediate attention. Overall, while Hilltop has pockets of success, its declining trajectory and significant struggles in math and reading for the general student body, particularly for economically disadvantaged students, make it a school that requires careful monitoring and proactive engagement from parents.