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Joe M Pirtle Elementary

Q: Is Joe M Pirtle Elementary a good school?

Joe M Pirtle Elementary ranks 2789 th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

2789^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 40% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Joe M Pirtle Elementary is a K-5 school in Temple, TX, serving 575 students as part of the Belton Independent School District (Isd), and it has experienced a significant and concerning decline in recent years.

Once a high-performing school ranking in the 80th percentile or higher, Pirtle has dropped to the 40th percentile in the most recent data, a steep 40-point decline over five years. This downward trend is the school's most defining feature, especially when compared to nearby schools like Lakewood Elementary, which has maintained a top 10% ranking. A major factor is the school's performance with students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, which ranks in the 11th percentile—the lowest of any subgroup. Additionally, there is a stark 24-percentile-point gap between female and male students, with boys performing significantly lower. The school shows a consistent strength in Reading over Math, but 5th Grade Science is a bright spot, consistently outperforming district and state averages.

Despite these challenges, Pirtle has an exceptional program for English Language Learners, ranking in the 99th percentile—a remarkable achievement not seen at nearby schools. However, the most recent data reveals broad-based underperformance across nearly all demographic groups, including White, Hispanic, African American, and Special Education students, all ranking below the 35th percentile. This suggests the decline is a systemic issue affecting the entire school community, not just one population. For parents, this means Pirtle offers some standout programs, particularly for ELL students and in science, but the overall trend and wide achievement gaps are critical factors to consider.

575

Students ?

14.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$7,862

Per pupil spending ?

40.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

714 S Pea Rdg
Temple, TX 76502

(254) 215-3400

District: Belton Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Joe M Pirtle Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	North Belton Middle
High:	Lake Belton High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

48.0%

Hispanic:

29.4%

African American:

11.0%

See top rated Texas elementary schools

Compare Joe M Pirtle Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 81st percentile in 2016 → 40th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (44% vs 51% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 41 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school44%

District avg47%

Texas avg51%

2,789^th of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Bottom 40%▼ down 41 pts since 2016

From top 19% (2016) to bottom 40% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 11Elementary Schools in the Belton Independent School District (Isd)

472^nd of 951Belton 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	39.5	2789 of 4627	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	49.8	2152 of 4651	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.4	1791 of 4710	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.1	1373 of 4647	70.5%	★★★★☆
2022	61.5	1538 of 4581	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	74.7	921 of 4578	79.9%	★★★★☆
2019	70.5	1040 of 4479	76.8%	★★★★☆
2018	79.8	685 of 4359	84.3%	★★★★☆
2017	85.1	542 of 4329	87.5%	★★★★☆
2016	78.4	825 of 4286	80.8%	★★★★☆
2015	80.6	705 of 4320	83.7%	★★★★☆
2014	82.9	573 of 4260	86.5%	★★★★☆
2013	76.8	814 of 4221	80.7%	★★★★☆
2012	77.7	762 of 4206	81.9%	★★★★☆
2011	63.3	1629 of 4095	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2010	65.7	1421 of 3937	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	67.5	1269 of 3884	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2008	66.4	1282 of 3768	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2007	64.6	1387 of 3724	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2006	62.7	1386 of 3476	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2005	53.5	1851 of 3475	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2004	72.7	821 of 3465	76.3%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	34.9	1663 of 2406	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	34.0	1345 of 1905	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	36.5	1645 of 2443	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.3	1767 of 2443	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	52.9	988 of 2421	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	79.4	255 of 2444	89.6%	★★★★☆
2019	61.3	732 of 2515	70.9%	★★★★☆
2018	64.9	616 of 2483	75.2%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	14.7	889 of 957	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	29.9	805 of 1005	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	46.0	2380 of 4461	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	56.0	1430 of 4331	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	44.9	2329 of 4295	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.2	2567 of 4240	39.5%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	97.1	35 of 2918	98.8%	★★★★★
2019	53.3	1399 of 3333	58.0%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	49.3	2141 of 4575	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.0	1701 of 3744	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.2	1984 of 4658	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.8	1412 of 4588	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.0	1469 of 4561	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	77.1	788 of 4499	82.5%	★★★★☆
2019	66.1	1186 of 4348	72.7%	★★★★☆
2018	76.2	775 of 4306	82.0%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	38.5	2443 of 3075	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	47.9	1757 of 2619	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.9	2087 of 2980	30.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.6	2517 of 2958	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	63.1	1281 of 3006	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.3	1887 of 3184	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	73.9	554 of 3106	82.2%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	35.9	3049 of 4413	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	49.6	1747 of 3644	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.1	1282 of 4465	71.3%	★★★★☆
2023	84.2	397 of 4401	91.0%	★★★★★
2022	65.1	1161 of 4376	73.5%	★★★★☆
2021	70.6	873 of 4329	79.8%	★★★★☆
2019	66.6	1028 of 4188	75.5%	★★★★☆
2018	90.3	186 of 4168	95.5%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	22.3	4022 of 4520	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	32.4	2775 of 3705	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.8	3406 of 4594	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	60.1	1510 of 4521	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.8	1252 of 4477	72.0%	★★★★☆
2021	83.3	332 of 4451	92.5%	★★★★★
2019	69.6	834 of 4309	80.6%	★★★★☆
2018	82.5	359 of 4264	91.6%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	33.0	3246 of 4582	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	51.3	1661 of 3739	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.4	1734 of 4647	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.1	1349 of 4585	70.6%	★★★★☆
2022	58.9	1656 of 4563	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	69.1	1113 of 4498	75.3%	★★★★☆
2019	72.8	904 of 4357	79.3%	★★★★☆
2018	78.0	718 of 4319	83.4%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	24.8	948 of 1106	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	29.0	793 of 975	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	49.0	596 of 1128	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.2	554 of 1099	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	53.2	475 of 1004	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.7	350 of 961	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.3	619 of 1112	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	27.2	833 of 1046	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	35.1	2922 of 4301	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.3	2277 of 3549	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	58.2	1378 of 4292	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	72.6	595 of 4086	85.4%	★★★★☆
2022	71.0	659 of 3952	83.3%	★★★★☆
2021	52.2	1304 of 3799	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	80.8	289 of 3684	92.2%	★★★★★
2018	73.0	482 of 3558	86.5%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	36.5	2105 of 3006	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	52.8	1258 of 2612	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	39.2	2041 of 3108	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.1	1828 of 3106	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.0	1950 of 3082	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	57.9	1182 of 3082	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.6	1101 of 3142	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.2	1020 of 3127	67.4%	★★★☆☆

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 (2025)99th percentile+45 vs school

Female (2026)53rd percentile+13 vs school

At Risk (2022)47th percentile-20 vs school

Special Education (2026)32nd percentile-8 vs school

Hispanic (2026)31st percentile-9 vs school

African American (2026)31st percentile-9 vs school

White (2026)30th percentile-10 vs school

Male (2026)29th percentile-11 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)21st percentile-19 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)14th percentile-25 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)11th percentile-29 vs school

Asian (2022)7th percentile-59 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Reading50%-4 vs state

Mathematics38%-9 vs state

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by a parent
Monday, April 15, 2019

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Schools Near Joe M Pirtle 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 Mathematics 3rd 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
Joe M Pirtle Elementary	Public	K-5	714 S Pea Rdg	Temple	76502	Bell County	Belton Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(254) 215-3400	575	41	14.0	40.3%	276 (48.0%)	63 (11.0%)	169 (29.4%)	10 (1.7%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	53 (9.2%)	39.5	2789^th of 4627 public elementary schools	39.7%		49.8	2152^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	53.7%	637				49.5	44.7	55.8	34.3	37.9	42.1	$7,862
Tarver Elementary	Public	K-5	7949 Stonehollow Dr	Temple	76502	Bell County	Belton Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(254) 215-3800	494	37	13.3	44.1%	165 (33.4%)	69 (14.0%)	187 (37.9%)	39 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	30 (6.1%)	36.2	3005^th of 4627 public elementary schools	35.1%		39.5	2802^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	39.8%	203				38.2	47.9	65.5	26.5	28.6	44.2	$8,211
Charter Oak Elementary	Public	K-5	8402 Poison Oak Rd	Temple	76502	Bell County	Belton Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(254) 215-4000	602	47	12.7	40.9%	270 (44.9%)	31 (5.1%)	260 (43.2%)	10 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.0%)	58.2	1700^th of 4627 public elementary schools	63.3%		67.3	1246^th of 4651 public elementary schools	73.2%	454	7.1	16.7	16.7	54.3	62.3	63.0	50.0	38.0	48.9	$8,902
High Point Elementary	Public	K-5	1635 Starlight Dr	Temple	76502	Bell County	Belton Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(254) 316-5000	563	41	13.8	41.2%	339 (60.2%)	25 (4.4%)	147 (26.1%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	45 (8.0%)	20.5	4018^th of 4627 public elementary schools	13.2%		33.4	3235^th of 4651 public elementary schools	30.4%	783				23.9	39.0	52.2	19.3	27.3	32.7	$7,525
Lakewood Elementary	Public	K-5	11200 Fm 2305	Belton	76513	Bell County	Belton Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(254) 215-3100	572	41	13.9	18.7%	400 (69.9%)	13 (2.3%)	93 (16.3%)	23 (4.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (7.3%)	87.3	493^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	89.3%		89.3	398^th of 4651 public elementary schools	91.4%	95				75.0	68.3	83.8	63.3	56.7	71.6	$7,463
James L Burrell Elementary	Public	K-5	8104 Glade Dr	Temple	76502	Bell County	Belton Independent School District (Isd)	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(254) 215-2000	466	33	13.9	27.3%	205 (44.0%)	59 (12.7%)	121 (26.0%)	34 (7.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (9.9%)	47.1	2263^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	51.1%		50.6	2111^th of 4651 public elementary schools	54.6%	152				53.8	53.9	58.7	43.8	39.3	34.8	$10,433
Sparta Elementary	Public	K-5	1800 Sparta Rd	Belton	76513	Bell County	Belton Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(254) 215-3600	549	41	13.2	29.5%	361 (65.8%)	23 (4.2%)	123 (22.4%)	7 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (6.4%)	61.5	1548^th of 4627 public elementary schools	66.5%		58.5	1648^th of 4651 public elementary schools	64.6%	100				58.4	52.9	55.0	48.3	54.7	56.0	$8,265
Leon Heights Elementary	Public	K-5	1501 N Main	Belton	76513	Bell County	Belton Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(254) 215-3200	184	18	10.2	58.2%	88 (47.8%)	10 (5.4%)	72 (39.1%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (7.1%)	46.8	2286^th of 4627 public elementary schools	50.6%		56.7	1743^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	62.5%	543				57.1	43.8	65.8	51.4	21.9	34.2	$9,986
Western Hills Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	600 Arapaho Dr	Temple	76504	Bell County	Temple Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(254) 215-5600	417	24	17.6	70.0%	118 (28.3%)	93 (22.3%)	166 (39.8%)	7 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	30 (7.2%)	31.9	3304^th of 4627 public elementary schools	28.6%		36	3049^th of 4651 public elementary schools	34.4%	255				40.3	35.9	41.8	35.8	40.0	47.8	$9,344
Kennedy-Powell Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3707 W Nugent Ave	Temple	76504	Bell County	Temple Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(254) 215-6000	384	23	16.3	61.5%	106 (27.6%)	84 (21.9%)	154 (40.1%)	6 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	31 (8.1%)	67.8	1233^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	73.4%		61.1	1524^th of 4651 public elementary schools	67.2%	291				61.7	62.7	58.3	67.2	56.7	40.7	$9,329

Frequently Asked Questions about Joe M Pirtle Elementary

Is Joe M Pirtle Elementary a good school?

Joe M Pirtle Elementary ranks 2789^th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Joe M Pirtle Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 575 students attended Joe M Pirtle Elementary.

What district is Joe M Pirtle Elementary in?

Belton Independent School District (Isd)

What schools do graduates of Joe M Pirtle Elementary attend?

Students who attend Joe M Pirtle Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : North Belton Middle
High : Lake Belton High School

What is the racial makeup of Joe M Pirtle Elementary?

Students at Joe M Pirtle Elementary are 48% White, 29% Hispanic, 11% African American, 9% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

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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.