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Walnut Hill International Leadership Academy

Public Grades PK, KG-8
886th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools
Better than 81% of Texas elementary schools
Summary

Walnut Hill International Leadership Academy is a public PK-8 school in the Dallas Independent School District (Isd) serving 516 students, and it has emerged as a standout academic leader in its area, particularly for its exceptional performance in upper elementary and middle school grades. The school has shown remarkable improvement, jumping from the 54th percentile statewide two years ago to the 81st percentile for the 2025-2026 school year, earning a 4-star rating. This is especially impressive given that over 82% of its students qualify for free or reduced lunch, yet the school consistently outperforms both district and state averages in core subjects.

One of the most striking findings is Walnut Hill's dominance in grades 6-8 compared to nearby schools. For example, in 6th grade Reading, Walnut Hill achieved a 77.2% proficiency rate, far outpacing Everette Lee Degolyer Elementary (71.7%) and other nearby schools like F P Caillet Elementary and Julian T Saldivar Elementary, which range from 30-45%. In 8th grade Social Studies, Walnut Hill's 76.9% proficiency rate is more than double the district (30.2%) and state (31.7%) averages, a unique strength in the area since Everette Lee Degolyer Elementary does not serve 8th grade. The school also ranks in the 88th percentile statewide for serving economically disadvantaged students, demonstrating that its success is driven by effective teaching and support systems that overcome socioeconomic barriers.

However, there are areas for improvement. The school's Gifted and Talented program ranks in the 18th percentile, earning a 1-star rating, suggesting the curriculum may not be adequately challenging for its highest-achieving students. Additionally, the Spanish-language STAAR program shows inconsistent results, with 5th graders scoring 71.4% proficient but 4th graders only 11.1%. Despite these challenges, Walnut Hill stands as a beacon of excellence in a cluster of struggling schools—five of six nearby elementary schools rank in the bottom 50% of Texas schools. Compared to Harry C Withers Elementary and Everette Lee Degolyer Elementary, which have lower rates of economic disadvantage (around 50%), Walnut Hill achieves similar or better results while serving a much higher-need population, making it a powerful example of closing the achievement gap.

516
Students ?
14.4
Student/teacher ratio ?
$10,595
Per pupil spending ?
82.2%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 3978 Killion Dr
       Dallas, TX  75229

(972) 502-7800

District: Dallas Independent School District (Isd)


Students who attend Walnut Hill International Leadership Academy usually attend:

High:    Thomas Jefferson High School
Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
85.1%
White:
7.6%
African American:
4.8%
more
 See top rated Texas elementary schools

 Compare Walnut Hill International Leadership Academy to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Improving — 74th percentile in 2016 → 81st in 2026
Strengths
Test scores above the Texas average (66% vs 49% meeting standards)
Ranks in the top 19% of Texas elementary schools
Ranking is trending up — up 7 percentile points since 2016
Worth a look
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school66%
District avg47%
Texas avg49%
Elementary school
886th of 4,627
Texas public elementary schools ?
Top 19%▲ up 7 pts since 2016
From top 26% (2016) to top 19% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
Middle school
152nd of 2,335
Texas public middle schools ?
Top 7%▲ up 56 pts since 2023
From bottom 37% (2023) to top 7% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Texas Middle Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
17th of 149Elementary Schools in the Dallas Independent School District (Isd)
441st of 951Dallas 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)
Elementary school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202676.6886 of 462780.9%★★★★☆
202569.81144 of 465175.4%★★★★☆
202450.52146 of 471054.4%★★★☆☆
202350.92121 of 464754.4%★★★☆☆
202265.61344 of 458170.7%★★★★☆
202153.11875 of 457859.0%★★★☆☆
201972.8970 of 447978.3%★★★★☆
201880.6658 of 435984.9%★★★★☆
201791.5312 of 432992.8%★★★★★
201672.61115 of 428674.0%★★★★☆
201578.7810 of 432081.3%★★★★☆
201484.8465 of 426089.1%★★★★☆
201377.6770 of 422181.8%★★★★☆
201266.71322 of 420668.6%★★★☆☆
201164.31544 of 409562.3%★★★☆☆
201067.11326 of 393766.3%★★★☆☆
200955.81938 of 388450.1%★★★☆☆
200874.6778 of 376879.4%★★★★☆
200771.11002 of 372473.1%★★★★☆
200674.2764 of 347678.0%★★★★☆
200570.9937 of 347573.0%★★★★☆
200452.61891 of 346545.4%★★☆☆☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202395.545 of 244398.2%★★★★★
202279.8264 of 242189.1%★★★★☆

At Risk

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202272.0745 of 446183.3%★★★★☆
202153.31610 of 433162.8%★★★☆☆
201980.5411 of 429590.4%★★★★★
201887.6214 of 424095.0%★★★★★

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202565.0775 of 291873.4%★★★★☆
202445.81874 of 366848.9%★★☆☆☆
202342.82086 of 355641.3%★★☆☆☆
202254.51392 of 348760.1%★★★☆☆
202150.01470 of 344657.3%★★★☆☆
201975.6441 of 333386.8%★★★★☆
201883.5241 of 322692.5%★★★★★

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202674.6901 of 457580.3%★★★★☆
202574.6722 of 374480.7%★★★★☆
202452.32032 of 465856.4%★★★☆☆
202348.42272 of 458850.5%★★★☆☆
202264.11358 of 456170.2%★★★★☆
202151.31958 of 449956.5%★★★☆☆
201976.9744 of 434882.9%★★★★☆
201885.1470 of 430689.1%★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202635.62517 of 307518.1%★☆☆☆☆
202539.32003 of 261923.5%★☆☆☆☆
202314.02825 of 29805.2%☆☆☆☆☆
202241.32178 of 295826.4%★☆☆☆☆
202141.72026 of 300632.6%★★☆☆☆
201946.02183 of 318431.4%★★☆☆☆
201845.52123 of 310631.6%★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202679.9524 of 441388.1%★★★★☆
202570.7745 of 364479.6%★★★★☆
202448.02265 of 446549.3%★★☆☆☆
202348.42153 of 440151.1%★★★☆☆
202266.21101 of 437674.8%★★★★☆
202158.31439 of 432966.8%★★★☆☆
201977.1563 of 418886.6%★★★★☆
201884.2349 of 416891.6%★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202678.0549 of 452087.9%★★★★☆
202572.4635 of 370582.9%★★★★☆
202448.62308 of 459449.8%★★☆☆☆
202354.61863 of 452158.8%★★★☆☆
202272.8760 of 447783.0%★★★★☆
202154.31737 of 445161.0%★★★☆☆
201982.6335 of 430992.2%★★★★★
201888.2188 of 426495.6%★★★★★

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202673.6957 of 458279.1%★★★★☆
202561.81219 of 373967.4%★★★☆☆
202444.22555 of 464745.0%★★☆☆☆
202352.52016 of 458556.0%★★★☆☆
202263.61402 of 456369.3%★★★☆☆
202151.61906 of 449857.6%★★★☆☆
201966.91146 of 435773.7%★★★★☆
201870.8981 of 431977.3%★★★★☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202668.4786 of 430181.7%★★★★☆
202561.31007 of 354971.6%★★★★☆
202454.11632 of 429262.0%★★★☆☆
202354.91360 of 408666.7%★★★☆☆
202262.1973 of 395275.4%★★★★☆
202140.62011 of 379947.1%★★☆☆☆
Middle school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202690.1152 of 233593.5%★★★★★
202568.5569 of 234475.7%★★★★☆
202450.41051 of 237255.7%★★★☆☆
202337.81468 of 233037.0%★★☆☆☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202566.4236 of 99776.3%★★★★☆

At Risk

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202273.8302 of 218286.2%★★★★☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202692.237 of 139097.3%★★★★★
202571.5245 of 142882.8%★★★★☆
202451.3710 of 177059.9%★★★☆☆
202349.0756 of 172056.0%★★★☆☆
202270.6266 of 164383.8%★★★★☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202684.7207 of 224090.8%★★★★★
202565.2490 of 182573.2%★★★★☆
202447.21097 of 224251.1%★★★☆☆
202335.91484 of 224133.8%★★☆☆☆
202248.91031 of 222153.6%★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202656.8778 of 149748.0%★★☆☆☆
202537.1933 of 123024.1%★☆☆☆☆
202314.41371 of 14817.4%☆☆☆☆☆
202236.31134 of 148823.8%★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202692.959 of 214197.2%★★★★★
202571.8306 of 173182.3%★★★★☆
202453.9822 of 211961.2%★★★☆☆
202341.01254 of 211640.7%★★☆☆☆
202254.2791 of 207761.9%★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202693.554 of 225397.6%★★★★★
202573.6273 of 182085.0%★★★★☆
202450.3974 of 223556.4%★★★☆☆
202341.81308 of 225141.9%★★☆☆☆
202262.9577 of 222074.0%★★★★☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202692.6102 of 225395.5%★★★★★
202569.2402 of 181877.9%★★★★☆
202448.11033 of 224654.0%★★★☆☆
202339.61332 of 224540.7%★★☆☆☆
202247.41077 of 222851.7%★★★☆☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202689.975 of 195696.2%★★★★★
202581.4106 of 156893.2%★★★★★
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)
Elementary school
African American (2023)98th percentile+44 vs school
Hispanic (2026)88th percentile+7 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2026)88th percentile+7 vs school
At Risk (2022)83rd percentile+13 vs school
Special Education (2026)82nd percentile~ school
Female (2026)80th percentile~ school
Male (2026)79th percentile~ school
English Language Learner (2025)73rd percentile~ school
Gifted and Talented (2026)18th percentile-63 vs school
Middle school
Low Socio Economic Status (2026)98th percentile+4 vs school
English Language Learner (2026)97th percentile+4 vs school
Hispanic (2026)97th percentile+4 vs school
Special Education (2026)96th percentile+3 vs school
Male (2026)95th percentile~ school
Female (2026)91st percentile-3 vs school
At Risk (2022)86th percentile
African American (2025)76th percentile~ school
Gifted and Talented (2026)48th percentile-45 vs school
By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?
Social Studies77%+45 vs state
Reading73%+18 vs state
Algebra I71%+17 vs state
Mathematics59%+13 vs state

5.0
1 rating · 1 written review
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What people are saying
by a parent
Friday, February 12, 2016

Open Quote The school is beautiful and has been great for all my kids. All 4 of my kids were successful in the dual language program and are able to speak Spanish. All 4 of my boys got into magnets after attending Walnut Hill. Close Quote





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Frequently Asked Questions about Walnut Hill International Leadership Academy

Students at Walnut Hill International Leadership Academy are 85% Hispanic, 8% White, 5% African American, 2% Two or more races.

In the 2024-25 school year, 516 students attended Walnut Hill International Leadership Academy.

Walnut Hill International Leadership Academy ranks 886th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students who attend Walnut Hill International Leadership Academy usually go on to attend:

High : Thomas Jefferson High School


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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.





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