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Nelson Elementary

Q: Is Nelson Elementary a good school?

Nelson Elementary ranks 2052 nd of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

2052^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 56% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Nelson Elementary in Denton, TX, is a mid-sized school serving 527 students in grades PK through 5, and is part of the Denton Independent School District (Isd).

Nelson Elementary has historically been a strong performer, but it is currently on a downward trend, dropping from the 84th percentile statewide in 2016 to the 56th percentile in 2026. This places it in the middle of the pack compared to nearby schools—it significantly outperforms Borman Elementary and Rivera Elementary, but is outclassed by Blanton Elementary and Hawk Elementary. A unique pattern in test scores shows that 4th graders consistently outperform district and state averages in reading and math, while 3rd and 5th graders lag behind, suggesting a potential strength in the 4th-grade team but systemic issues in other grades. A bright spot is 5th-grade science, where proficiency rates are significantly higher than the district and state averages.

The school serves a moderately diverse community, with about 39% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. While Nelson has shown strength in supporting its African American students, it struggles with its special education and economically disadvantaged populations. The contrast with nearby Blanton Elementary is stark—both schools have similar student-teacher ratios and per-student spending, yet Blanton ranks in the 94th percentile with only 5.7% economically disadvantaged students, highlighting the strong link between socioeconomic factors and academic outcomes. Nelson Elementary is a solid school at a crossroads, needing to reverse its recent decline to return to its former high-performing status.

527

Students ?

12.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,066

Per pupil spending ?

38.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3909 Teasley Ln
Denton, TX 76210

(940) 369-1400

District: Denton Independent School District (Isd)

Racial breakdown:

White:

40.4%

Hispanic:

34.3%

African American:

12.3%

See top rated Texas elementary schools

Compare Nelson Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 84th percentile in 2016 → 56th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Texas median (56th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 28 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school49%

District avg48%

Texas avg51%

2,052^nd of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Top 44%▼ down 29 pts since 2016

From top 16% (2016) to top 44% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

12^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	51.2	2052 of 4627	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	64.0	1388 of 4651	70.2%	★★★★☆
2024	63.0	1457 of 4710	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.4	1234 of 4647	73.4%	★★★★☆
2022	60.5	1571 of 4581	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	57.7	1628 of 4578	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	69.8	1077 of 4479	76.0%	★★★★☆
2018	69.1	1071 of 4359	75.4%	★★★★☆
2017	79.2	737 of 4329	83.0%	★★★★☆
2016	81.5	669 of 4286	84.4%	★★★★☆
2015	72.1	1155 of 4320	73.3%	★★★★☆
2014	74.4	985 of 4260	76.9%	★★★★☆
2013	75.9	853 of 4221	79.8%	★★★★☆
2012	80.3	640 of 4206	84.8%	★★★★☆
2011	78.9	548 of 4095	86.6%	★★★★☆
2010	71.9	990 of 3937	74.9%	★★★★☆
2009	61.3	1638 of 3884	57.8%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	38.1	1546 of 2406	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	62.7	546 of 1905	71.3%	★★★★☆
2024	70.6	470 of 2443	80.8%	★★★★☆
2023	77.6	323 of 2443	86.8%	★★★★☆
2022	70.6	465 of 2421	80.8%	★★★★☆
2021	65.0	563 of 2444	77.0%	★★★★☆
2019	58.5	832 of 2515	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.1	649 of 2483	73.9%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	25.7	864 of 999	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	50.1	483 of 814	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	51.3	606 of 1045	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.8	606 of 1015	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.0	766 of 957	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	32.1	805 of 1009	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	73.2	202 of 1005	79.9%	★★★★☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	26.1	3728 of 4461	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	42.1	2415 of 4331	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	59.0	1388 of 4295	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	40.2	2644 of 4240	37.6%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	35.5	1150 of 1643	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	60.2	934 of 2918	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.8	1824 of 3668	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.0	2123 of 3556	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.1	2427 of 3487	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.4	2225 of 3446	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	64.5	861 of 3333	74.2%	★★★★☆
2018	38.9	2105 of 3226	34.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	54.9	1813 of 4575	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	59.8	1289 of 3744	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.6	1945 of 4658	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.3	1165 of 4588	74.6%	★★★★☆
2022	61.1	1513 of 4561	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.5	1949 of 4499	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.7	1297 of 4348	70.2%	★★★★☆
2018	59.7	1511 of 4306	64.9%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	48.6	2054 of 3075	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	60.0	1277 of 2619	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	70.6	772 of 2980	74.1%	★★★★☆
2022	57.9	1519 of 2958	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	60.4	1378 of 3006	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.4	1003 of 3184	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.0	1195 of 3106	61.5%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	54.1	1812 of 4413	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	49.6	1740 of 3644	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	41.8	2658 of 4465	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.6	2380 of 4401	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.1	2807 of 4376	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	40.1	2568 of 4329	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	58.9	1451 of 4188	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.1	2051 of 4168	50.8%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	38.1	2998 of 4520	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	50.0	1774 of 3705	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.0	2139 of 4594	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	43.1	2664 of 4521	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.2	2421 of 4477	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.8	2815 of 4451	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	61.6	1265 of 4309	70.6%	★★★★☆
2018	58.6	1456 of 4264	65.9%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	47.3	2293 of 4582	50.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	62.0	1209 of 3739	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.2	1357 of 4647	70.8%	★★★★☆
2023	64.9	1356 of 4585	70.4%	★★★★☆
2022	59.1	1646 of 4563	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	62.6	1365 of 4498	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	72.6	911 of 4357	79.1%	★★★★☆
2018	75.8	794 of 4319	81.6%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2021	32.8	706 of 961	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.2	864 of 1112	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	48.7	553 of 1046	47.1%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	35.7	2866 of 4301	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	27.1	2870 of 3549	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.7	3092 of 4292	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	41.7	2168 of 4086	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.3	1972 of 3952	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	43.1	1818 of 3799	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	88.5	148 of 3684	96.0%	★★★★★
2018	84.8	198 of 3558	94.4%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	54.9	1364 of 3006	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	62.4	934 of 2612	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.8	1486 of 3108	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.6	1150 of 3106	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.6	1350 of 3082	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	46.3	1642 of 3082	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	65.5	949 of 3142	69.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.2	996 of 3127	68.1%	★★★☆☆

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)

Female (2026)60th percentile+5 vs school

Hispanic (2026)59th percentile+3 vs school

White (2026)55th percentile~ school

Male (2026)50th percentile-6 vs school

African American (2026)36th percentile-20 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)34th percentile-22 vs school

Special Education (2026)33rd percentile-22 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)33rd percentile-22 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)30th percentile-26 vs school

Multi-racial (2021)27th percentile-38 vs school

At Risk (2022)16th percentile-49 vs school

Asian (2026)14th percentile-42 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Reading55%~ state avg

Mathematics44%-4 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, May 28, 2010

Since my children were transferred to LA Nelson, their test scores have gone down and they do not demonstrate a great grasp of the materials. I am doubtful they will be ready when they are advanced to Middle School. My son went from passing his TAKS tests to failing them. A huge drop in test scores from third grade to fourth. My daughter is now lagging on her reading scores and math scores.

Denton ISD has a poor record and seems to be maintaining that standard with LA Nelson. Close Quote

Schools Near Nelson 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 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
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
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
McNair Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1212 Hickory Creek Rd	Denton	76210	Denton County	Denton Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(940) 369-3600	599	43	13.9	53.1%	206 (34.4%)	41 (6.8%)	314 (52.4%)	9 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (4.8%)	67.8	1234^th of 4627 public elementary schools	73.3%		75.7	911^th of 4651 public elementary schools	80.4%	323	11.1	37.5	46.7		25.0	12.5	55.1	67.4	61.1	48.0	54.1	57.8	$8,985
Hawk Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2300 Oakmont Dr	Corinth	76210	Denton County	Denton Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(940) 369-1800	610	44	13.9	19.2%	341 (55.9%)	36 (5.9%)	124 (20.3%)	58 (9.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	49 (8.0%)	82.5	678^th of 4627 public elementary schools	85.3%		85.8	541^st of 4651 public elementary schools	88.4%	137							69.9	75.7	73.3	45.7	73.2	60.0	$8,414
Ryan Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	201 W Ryan Rd	Denton	76210	Denton County	Denton Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(940) 369-4600	551	43	12.7	47.2%	194 (35.2%)	42 (7.6%)	246 (44.6%)	52 (9.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.1%)	64.6	1374^th of 4627 public elementary schools	70.3%		67.7	1226^th of 4651 public elementary schools	73.6%	148	18.2	30.0			0.0		58.9	64.2	74.3	43.2	52.8	42.7	$8,786
Denton Classical Academy	Public, Charter	K-5	4420 Country Club Rd	Denton	76210	Denton County	Texas College Preparatory Academies	Yes	No	(n/a)	No	(972) 316-3663	190	16	11.8	28.9%	110 (57.9%)	22 (11.6%)	31 (16.3%)	8 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (10.0%)	44	2441^st of 4627 public elementary schools	47.2%		66.8	1272^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	72.7%	1169							46.0	57.1	60.9	29.7	28.6	56.5	$10,843
Pecan Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4400 Lakeview Blvd	Denton	76208	Denton County	Denton Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(940) 369-4400	656	51	12.9	47.0%	222 (33.8%)	68 (10.4%)	292 (44.5%)	29 (4.4%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	42 (6.4%)	52.6	1984^th of 4627 public elementary schools	57.1%		63.1	1430^th of 4651 public elementary schools	69.3%	554	10.0	30.0		14.3			51.1	53.3	59.0	45.4	44.3	47.0	$10,061
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
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
Blanton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	9501 Stacee Ln	Lantana	76266	Denton County	Denton Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(940) 369-0700	470	37	12.8	5.7%	326 (69.4%)	23 (4.9%)	62 (13.2%)	28 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	30 (6.4%)	91.8	299^th of 4627 public elementary schools	93.5%		90.8	343^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	92.6%	44							83.8	71.1	80.3	73.5	72.0	67.1	$9,192

Frequently Asked Questions about Nelson Elementary

How many students attend Nelson Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 527 students attended Nelson Elementary.

What district is Nelson Elementary in?

Denton Independent School District (Isd)

What is the racial makeup of Nelson Elementary?

Students at Nelson Elementary are 40% White, 34% Hispanic, 12% African American, 8% Two or more races, 5% Asian.

Is Nelson Elementary a good school?

Nelson Elementary ranks 2052^nd of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Nelson Elementary!

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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.