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James R Bilhartz Junior Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-4

4231^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 9% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

James R Bilhartz Junior Elementary is a PK-4 school in Dallas, TX, serving 541 students within the Duncanville Independent School District (Isd), where nearly 87% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. The school is facing a serious academic crisis, with its state ranking plummeting from the 39th percentile in 2022-2023 to the 9th percentile in 2025-2026, making it one of the lowest-performing schools in its peer group. Test scores consistently fall below both district and state averages, with math proficiency particularly concerning—only about 18% of 3rd and 4th graders were proficient in 2024-2025, roughly half the state average.

What sets Bilhartz apart from nearby schools is the severity of its recent decline. While other schools in the district also struggle, Bilhartz has dropped much faster than peers like William Lee Hastings Elementary (36th percentile) and Fairmeadows Elementary (35th percentile), which perform significantly better despite similar demographics. The school is especially failing its English Language Learners, ranking in the 1st percentile statewide for this subgroup in 2024-2025—a catastrophic collapse from the 54th percentile just two years earlier. In contrast, the nearby charter school Ume Preparatory Academy (68th percentile) achieves proficiency rates double or triple those of Bilhartz, though it serves a population with a much lower rate of economic disadvantage.

Despite these challenges, there is a notable bright spot: Bilhartz's Gifted and Talented program ranks in the 39th percentile statewide, suggesting effective enrichment for its highest-achieving students. The school also spends about $11,054 per student, which is higher than the high-performing UME Prep ($7,297), indicating that funding alone isn't the issue. For parents, this data points to a school in urgent need of restructuring, particularly in math and support for English learners, though the strong GT program offers a glimmer of hope for families with advanced learners.

541

Students ?

14.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,109

Per pupil spending ?

86.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6700 Wandt
Dallas, TX 75236

(972) 708-6600

District: Duncanville Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend James R Bilhartz Junior Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	G W Kennemer Middle
	Glenn C Hardin Intermediate
High:	Duncanville High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

56.9%

African American:

35.9%

White:

4.6%

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Compare James R Bilhartz Junior Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 57th percentile in 2016 → 9th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (30% vs 50% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (9th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 48 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school30%

District avg35%

Texas avg50%

4,231^st of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Bottom 9%▼ down 48 pts since 2016

From top 43% (2016) to bottom 9% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

8^th of 8Elementary Schools in the Duncanville Independent School District (Isd)

863^rd of 951Duncanville 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	16.2	4231 of 4627	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	9.8	4491 of 4651	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	17.1	4215 of 4710	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	39.5	2830 of 4647	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.0	3256 of 4581	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.1	3772 of 4578	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.9	3635 of 4479	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.3	2848 of 4359	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2017	31.2	3080 of 4329	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	58.7	1850 of 4286	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2015	25.3	3560 of 4320	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	28.0	3494 of 4260	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	22.2	3716 of 4221	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	30.1	3424 of 4206	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	52.5	2261 of 4095	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2010	65.8	1419 of 3937	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2009	70.0	1093 of 3884	71.9%	★★★★☆
2008	59.4	1693 of 3768	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2007	49.4	2234 of 3724	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2006	68.3	1114 of 3476	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2005	58.7	1594 of 3475	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2004	40.4	2459 of 3465	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	22.3	2123 of 2406	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	20.9	1709 of 1905	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.4	2324 of 2443	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	49.7	1083 of 2443	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.1	1157 of 2421	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	30.2	1852 of 2444	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.8	2148 of 2515	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	46.5	1245 of 2483	49.9%	★★☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	43.1	2590 of 4461	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	27.5	3546 of 4331	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	50.1	1958 of 4295	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.9	1700 of 4240	59.9%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	8.2	2889 of 2918	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	20.2	3275 of 3668	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	50.7	1643 of 3556	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.2	2054 of 3487	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.2	2414 of 3446	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.6	1685 of 3333	49.4%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	19.1	4089 of 4575	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	14.1	3533 of 3744	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	13.8	4393 of 4658	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	49.3	2199 of 4588	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.3	2451 of 4561	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	22.5	3708 of 4499	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.5	3360 of 4348	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.1	2874 of 4306	33.3%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	52.7	1886 of 3075	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	46.8	1796 of 2619	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.9	2333 of 2980	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	37.7	2279 of 2958	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	6.5	3133 of 3184	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	26.6	3661 of 4413	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	12.6	3498 of 3644	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	19.0	4037 of 4465	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	52.8	1895 of 4401	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	39.5	2784 of 4376	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	31.1	3159 of 4329	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	43.4	2415 of 4188	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.8	2467 of 4168	40.8%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	26.7	3800 of 4520	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	13.1	3551 of 3705	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	17.8	4253 of 4594	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	49.2	2235 of 4521	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	37.9	2961 of 4477	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	27.0	3598 of 4451	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	33.7	3222 of 4309	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	48.1	2163 of 4264	49.3%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	15.8	4259 of 4582	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	6.8	3685 of 3739	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.9	4395 of 4647	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	31.3	3305 of 4585	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.5	3662 of 4563	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.8	3683 of 4498	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	22.5	3741 of 4357	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.9	2848 of 4319	34.1%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	32.2	3161 of 4301	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	19.6	3235 of 3549	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	20.1	3847 of 4292	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	52.4	1500 of 4086	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	23.8	3456 of 3952	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	36.0	2332 of 3799	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	43.9	1805 of 3684	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.7	1208 of 3558	66.0%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2021	14.9	2855 of 3082	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	8.0	3074 of 3142	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

At Risk (2022)42nd percentile+13 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)39th percentile+30 vs school

Special Education (2026)27th percentile+18 vs school

Hispanic (2026)17th percentile+8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)16th percentile+7 vs school

African American (2026)12th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)11th percentile~ school

White (2021)7th percentile-10 vs school

Male (2026)7th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2025)1st percentile~ school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Reading33%-22 vs state

Mathematics29%-18 vs state

5.0

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What people are saying

by a citizen on FaceBook
Tuesday, August 30, 2011

There's a new sheriff in town! The new principal is very motivated and student-oriented. Several of the teachers are particularly exemplary. And this school has, in fact, been rated exemplary for the past 2 years. Many out of district families are moving to the Bilhartz area just to take advantage of this fine school. Unfortunately, this has resulted in overcrowding. Close Quote

Schools Near James R Bilhartz Junior 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 5th Grade	STAAR Reading 3rd Grade	STAAR Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Reading 6th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 5th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 6th Grade	Total
James R Bilhartz Junior Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	6700 Wandt	Dallas	75236	Dallas County	Duncanville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 708-6600	541	38	14.2	86.7%	25 (4.6%)	194 (35.9%)	308 (56.9%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.0%)	16.2	4231^st of 4627 public elementary schools	8.6%		9.8	4491^st of 4651 public elementary schools	3.4%	260	20.0		0.0			33.3	26.7	36.0		29.4	24.2	32.3		$9,109
Ume Preparatory Academy - Duncanville	Public, Charter	K-6	415 N Cedar Ridge Dr	Duncanville	75116	Dallas County	Ume Preparatory Academy	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 296-0084	258	14	18.3	45.3%	75 (29.1%)	45 (17.4%)	119 (46.1%)	4 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (5.8%)	49.7	2132^nd of 4627 public elementary schools	53.9%		47.1	2310^th of 4651 public elementary schools	50.3%	178						53.3	50.0	50.0	61.5	33.3	44.4	47.5	41.0	$9,004
William Lee Hastings Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	602 W Center St	Duncanville	75116	Dallas County	Duncanville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 708-2800	529	30	17.7	83.6%	12 (2.3%)	216 (40.8%)	285 (53.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.8%)	36.8	2963^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	36.0%		36.6	3008^th of 4651 public elementary schools	35.3%	45	23.1					27.4	51.5	57.3		25.3	47.9	42.4		$8,275
Fairmeadows Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	101 E Fairmeadows Dr	Duncanville	75116	Dallas County	Duncanville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 708-2700	435	31	14.0	87.6%	8 (1.8%)	51 (11.7%)	373 (85.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	36.4	2992^nd of 4627 public elementary schools	35.3%		26.8	3626^th of 4651 public elementary schools	22.0%	634	0.0	66.7	10.0	0.0	0.0	28.4	51.7	43.4		36.3	53.2	39.5		$9,129
Charles Acton Leadershp Academy	Public	PK, KG-4	7095 W Wheatland Rd	Dallas	75249	Dallas County	Duncanville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 708-2400	537	32	16.8	88.1%	5 (0.9%)	241 (44.9%)	273 (50.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.4%)	19.9	4045^th of 4627 public elementary schools	12.6%		20.3	4006^th of 4651 public elementary schools	13.9%	39	11.1		20.0			27.1	22.5	46.5		32.8	25.0	37.5		$8,246
Clint Q Smith Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1010 Big Stone Gap	Duncanville	75137	Dallas County	Duncanville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 708-3000	344	23	14.9	82.6%	9 (2.6%)	155 (45.1%)	171 (49.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.6%)	20.2	4027^th of 4627 public elementary schools	13.0%		4.7	4623^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	0.6%	596						44.9	27.8	34.0		36.7	22.2	23.4		$9,594
Central Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	302 E Freeman St	Duncanville	75116	Dallas County	Duncanville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 708-2600	457	27	17.0	85.6%	10 (2.2%)	114 (24.9%)	325 (71.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.5%)								(n/a)														$10,159
Merrifield Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	102 E Vinyard St	Duncanville	75137	Dallas County	Duncanville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 708-2900	393	24	16.4	87.3%	6 (1.5%)	167 (42.5%)	210 (53.4%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.8%)	18.6	4125^th of 4627 public elementary schools	10.8%		14.4	4320^th of 4651 public elementary schools	7.1%	195	28.6	20.0				28.6	48.2	27.3		30.8	37.3	19.0		$7,808
Ume Preparatory Academy	Public, Charter	K-6	3838 Spur 408	Dallas	75236	Dallas County	Ume Preparatory Academy	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(214) 445-6243	540	29	18.4	49.4%	130 (24.1%)	52 (9.6%)	331 (61.3%)	12 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.8%)	62.4	1496^th of 4627 public elementary schools	67.7%		68.3	1202^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	74.2%	294						48.2	49.4	73.5	75.9	33.3	35.8	60.2	69.5	$10,037
Cj & Anne Hyman Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	8441 Fox Creek Trl	Dallas	75249	Dallas County	Duncanville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 708-6700	453	34	13.5	70.6%	7 (1.5%)	209 (46.1%)	215 (47.5%)	10 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.6%)	31.2	3358^th of 4627 public elementary schools	27.4%		38.2	2910^th of 4651 public elementary schools	37.4%	448	0.0		33.3			47.6	51.4	42.9		29.0	43.2	25.6		$10,271

Frequently Asked Questions about James R Bilhartz Junior Elementary

What schools do graduates of James R Bilhartz Junior Elementary attend?

Students who attend James R Bilhartz Junior Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : G W Kennemer Middle
Middle : Glenn C Hardin Intermediate
High : Duncanville High School

What is the racial makeup of James R Bilhartz Junior Elementary?

Students at James R Bilhartz Junior Elementary are 57% Hispanic, 36% African American, 5% White, 2% Two or more races.

What district is James R Bilhartz Junior Elementary in?

Duncanville Independent School District (Isd)

How many students attend James R Bilhartz Junior Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 541 students attended James R Bilhartz Junior Elementary.

Is James R Bilhartz Junior Elementary a good school?

James R Bilhartz Junior Elementary ranks in the bottom 8.6% of Texas elementary schools.

Rate James R Bilhartz Junior 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.