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Rivera Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

4153^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 10% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Rivera Elementary in Denton, TX, serves 604 students in grades PK-5 within the Denton Independent School District (Isd) and is currently ranked in the 10th percentile statewide, reflecting significant academic challenges despite a favorable student-teacher ratio of 11.8:1 and per-student spending of $12,351, which is above the district average.

Rivera Elementary stands out as the lowest-performing school in its immediate area, with critical gaps in core subjects compared to nearby schools. For example, in 4th-grade Reading, only 23.15% of Rivera students were proficient, while Ryan Elementary achieved 64.18% and Nette Shultz reached 65.41%. Similarly, in 5th-grade Math, Rivera scored 33.01%, compared to 51.15% at Nette Shultz and 51.14% at Houston Elementary. However, a notable bright spot is Rivera's performance in Spanish-language Math assessments, where 4th-grade scores hit 55.56%—far exceeding the district (19.28%) and state (23.01%) averages, and higher than every nearby school, including Borman Elementary at 30%. This suggests a specific instructional strength in bilingual math instruction.

Rivera has experienced a severe decline over the past decade, dropping from the 53rd percentile in 2018-2019 to the 3rd percentile in 2023-2024, with a slight recovery to the 10th percentile in 2025-2026. The school shows a stark contrast in serving different student groups: it is relatively effective with Hispanic students (39th percentile) and English Language Learners (36th percentile), but struggles significantly with Special Education students (8th percentile) and Gifted and Talented students (5th percentile). Despite higher spending than peers like Nelson Elementary ($10,367) and Ryan Elementary ($11,017), Rivera's resources have not translated into strong outcomes, pointing to issues with how funds and staff are utilized. Its nearest neighbor, Alice Moore Alexander (1.02 miles away), also serves a high-poverty population but ranks slightly higher (3,709 vs. Rivera's 4,153), indicating that Rivera faces particularly acute challenges in its immediate community.

604

Students ?

11.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,820

Per pupil spending ?

79.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

701 Newton St
Denton, TX 76205-6234

(940) 369-3800

District: Denton Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Rivera Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Bettye Myers Middle
High:	Ryan High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

50.0%

African American:

31.0%

White:

13.2%

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Compare Rivera Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 26th percentile in 2016 → 10th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (31% vs 50% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (10th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 16 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school31%

District avg46%

Texas avg50%

4,153^rd of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Bottom 10%▼ down 15 pts since 2016

From bottom 26% (2016) to bottom 10% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

24^th of 25Elementary Schools in the Denton Independent School District (Isd)

549^th of 951Denton 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	18.1	4153 of 4627	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	14.9	4297 of 4651	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.1	4564 of 4710	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	20.0	4005 of 4647	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.3	3463 of 4581	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	42.3	2429 of 4578	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.1	2096 of 4479	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	33.9	2951 of 4359	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	25.8	3425 of 4329	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	32.3	3186 of 4286	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	29.7	3348 of 4320	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	47.4	2496 of 4260	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2013	44.7	2613 of 4221	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2012	34.6	3180 of 4206	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	56.8	2012 of 4095	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2010	35.3	3053 of 3937	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	45.4	2475 of 3884	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2008	40.4	2645 of 3768	29.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	16.9	3472 of 3724	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	13.8	3307 of 3476	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	15.1	3288 of 3475	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	34.5	2691 of 3465	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	20.4	2182 of 2406	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	15.0	1822 of 1905	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	15.7	2318 of 2443	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	26.9	1978 of 2443	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	38.4	1524 of 2421	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	47.7	1117 of 2444	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.6	1235 of 2515	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	44.2	1326 of 2483	46.6%	★★☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	60.3	1399 of 4461	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	66.8	877 of 4331	79.8%	★★★★☆
2019	67.8	898 of 4295	79.1%	★★★★☆
2018	57.9	1456 of 4240	65.7%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	37.7	1872 of 2918	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	12.8	3546 of 3668	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	50.5	1652 of 3556	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.5	1173 of 3487	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	65.3	785 of 3446	77.2%	★★★★☆
2019	81.9	277 of 3333	91.7%	★★★★★
2018	65.7	804 of 3226	75.1%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	19.7	4068 of 4575	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	20.7	3244 of 3744	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	8.2	4564 of 4658	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	26.1	3657 of 4588	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.9	3238 of 4561	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	38.8	2645 of 4499	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	56.3	1694 of 4348	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	36.3	2860 of 4306	33.6%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	17.6	2923 of 3075	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	23.2	2343 of 2619	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	37.5	2346 of 2980	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.2	2438 of 2958	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.5	2378 of 3006	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	66.8	1052 of 3184	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	42.8	2233 of 3106	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	41.3	2674 of 4413	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	29.7	2827 of 3644	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	9.6	4372 of 4465	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	35.8	3030 of 4401	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.7	2769 of 4376	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	51.6	1837 of 4329	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.2	1157 of 4188	72.4%	★★★★☆
2018	39.5	2619 of 4168	37.2%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	26.7	3803 of 4520	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	22.9	3247 of 3705	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	10.3	4489 of 4594	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	26.9	3721 of 4521	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	37.0	3019 of 4477	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	51.7	1899 of 4451	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.6	1263 of 4309	70.7%	★★★★☆
2018	48.3	2152 of 4264	49.5%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	19.1	4091 of 4582	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	15.8	3445 of 3739	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.0	4515 of 4647	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	17.8	4114 of 4585	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.1	3636 of 4563	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	46.2	2192 of 4498	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	39.8	2676 of 4357	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.8	2996 of 4319	30.6%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	21.0	3969 of 4301	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	12.6	3459 of 3549	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.2	4125 of 4292	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	30.8	3061 of 4086	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	42.3	2118 of 3952	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	32.9	2570 of 3799	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.7	1430 of 3684	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.2	1689 of 3558	52.5%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	25.1	2523 of 3006	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.7	2296 of 2612	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.6	2936 of 3108	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.1	2987 of 3106	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	21.4	2692 of 3082	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	41.7	1868 of 3082	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	51.2	1551 of 3142	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	37.5	2072 of 3127	33.7%	★★☆☆☆

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)69th percentile+44 vs school

Hispanic (2026)39th percentile+29 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)36th percentile+28 vs school

White (2026)16th percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)16th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2026)11th percentile~ school

Male (2026)11th percentile~ school

African American (2026)9th percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)8th percentile-3 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)5th percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics33%-14 vs state

Reading31%-24 vs state

★

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Schools Near Rivera Elementary

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
Rivera Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	701 Newton St	Denton	76205	Denton County	Denton Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(940) 369-3800	604	51	11.8	79.8%	80 (13.2%)	187 (31.0%)	302 (50.0%)	4 (0.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (4.8%)	18.1	4153^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	10.2%		14.9	4297^th of 4651 public elementary schools	7.6%	144	12.5	25.0	14.3	27.3	0.0	14.3	29.6	23.2	39.8	29.0	36.9	33.0	$9,820
Alice Moore Alexander	Public	PK, KG-5	800 Mack Pl	Denton	76209	Denton County	Denton Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(940) 369-3500	573	47	12.1	67.2%	94 (16.4%)	72 (12.6%)	379 (66.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (4.9%)	25.7	3709^th of 4627 public elementary schools	19.8%		16.7	4197^th of 4651 public elementary schools	9.8%	488	22.7	25.0	54.6	40.0	0.0	14.3	49.1	32.2	50.0	40.5	24.4	25.5	$10,662
Borman Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1201 Parvin St	Denton	76205	Denton County	Denton Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(940) 369-2500	523	46	11.3	76.9%	78 (14.9%)	74 (14.1%)	318 (60.8%)	17 (3.3%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (6.3%)	39.6	2781^st of 4627 public elementary schools	39.9%		21.2	3960^th of 4651 public elementary schools	14.9%	1179	37.5	37.5	33.3	20.0		0.0	47.7	50.0	44.7	50.0	42.9	25.5	$12,098
Houston Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3100 Teasley	Denton	76205	Denton County	Denton Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(940) 369-2900	537	41	13.1	44.3%	246 (45.8%)	87 (16.2%)	126 (23.5%)	37 (6.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.7%)	37 (6.9%)	64.1	1394^th of 4627 public elementary schools	69.9%		59.7	1595^th of 4651 public elementary schools	65.7%	201							52.1	57.7	69.3	45.2	55.1	51.1	$9,805
Nette Shultz	Public	PK, KG-5	1502 Hanover St	Denton	76209	Denton County	Denton Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(940) 369-4500	748	52	14.3	46.8%	336 (44.9%)	67 (9.0%)	276 (36.9%)	10 (1.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (7.8%)	71.1	1089^th of 4627 public elementary schools	76.5%		73.6	978^th of 4651 public elementary schools	79.0%	111	40.0	30.0	0.0		0.0		61.8	65.4	68.8	46.6	58.7	51.2	$9,233
Newton Rayzor Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1400 Malone	Denton	76201	Denton County	Denton Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(940) 369-3700	674	48	14.0	50.4%	266 (39.5%)	57 (8.5%)	284 (42.1%)	23 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (6.5%)	47.7	2227^th of 4627 public elementary schools	51.9%		51.2	2068^th of 4651 public elementary schools	55.5%	159	16.7	8.3	0.0	21.7	0.0	0.0	56.8	55.3	61.6	36.8	37.2	37.0	$10,388
Evers Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3300 Evers Pkwy	Denton	76207	Denton County	Denton Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(940) 369-2600	732	51	14.4	61.7%	155 (21.2%)	149 (20.4%)	346 (47.3%)	25 (3.4%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (7.5%)	25.7	3707^th of 4627 public elementary schools	19.9%		38	2922^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	37.2%	785	21.9	18.8	60.9	26.9	0.0	30.0	39.4	35.9	50.0	37.6	25.6	34.2	$9,403
Ginnings Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2525 Yellowstone	Denton	76209	Denton County	Denton Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(940) 369-2700	614	47	12.9	60.3%	110 (17.9%)	87 (14.2%)	384 (62.5%)	12 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.4%)								(n/a)													$10,030
Nelson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3909 Teasley Ln	Denton	76210	Denton County	Denton Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(940) 369-1400	527	41	12.8	38.7%	213 (40.4%)	65 (12.3%)	181 (34.3%)	25 (4.7%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (7.6%)	51.2	2052^nd of 4627 public elementary schools	55.7%		64	1388^th of 4651 public elementary schools	70.2%	664							48.3	59.4	57.1	36.8	55.0	37.4	$10,066
Hodge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3900 Grant Pkwy	Denton	76208	Denton County	Denton Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(940) 369-2800	660	52	12.8	83.9%	87 (13.2%)	48 (7.3%)	504 (76.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.2%)	25.1	3749^th of 4627 public elementary schools	19.0%		22.9	3857^th of 4651 public elementary schools	17.1%	108	36.4	24.4	33.3	20.0	14.3	20.0	51.4	38.1	46.0	27.4	30.6	29.5	$10,983

Frequently Asked Questions about Rivera Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Rivera Elementary?

Students at Rivera Elementary are 50% Hispanic, 31% African American, 13% White, 5% Two or more races.

How many students attend Rivera Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 604 students attended Rivera Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Rivera Elementary attend?

Students who attend Rivera Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Bettye Myers Middle
High : Ryan High School

What district is Rivera Elementary in?

Denton Independent School District (Isd)

Is Rivera Elementary a good school?

Rivera Elementary ranks in the bottom 10.2% of Texas elementary schools.

Rate Rivera Elementary!

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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.