Summary
Hodge Elementary in Denton, TX, is a PK-5 school serving 660 students within the Denton Independent School District (Isd), and it currently faces significant academic challenges, ranking in the 19th percentile of Texas elementary schools.
Hodge Elementary is one of the lowest-performing schools in its area, with a state ranking that has dropped from a 4-star rating in 2016-2017 to a 1-star rating in recent years. A key factor is that over 83% of its students qualify for free or reduced lunch, the highest rate among nearby schools. For context, Nette Shultz, located just 1.57 miles away, has a much lower rate of 46.79% and ranks in the 76th percentile (4-star). Similarly, Houston Elementary (70th percentile) and Newton Rayzor Elementary perform well above Hodge. The school’s math proficiency is critically low, with only 27-30% of students meeting standards in grades 3-5, which is 15-20 points below the state average. Male students have been especially affected, with performance falling to the 7th percentile.
Despite these struggles, there are some bright spots and important nuances. Hodge’s Spanish-language reading program has been a relative success, with 5th-grade proficiency at 46.67% in 2024-2025, outperforming the district and state averages. However, this success does not carry over to math, where Spanish-language proficiency is often in the single digits. Interestingly, the school has a history of success with at-risk students, ranking in the 81st percentile for this group in 2018-2019, showing it has the potential to improve. Spending is not the issue, as Hodge spends $11,836 per student, more than higher-performing peers like Nette Shultz ($11,320). The school’s challenges are more about how resources are used to address the needs of its high-poverty student body.
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