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Western Hills Elementary

Q: Is Western Hills Elementary a good school?

Western Hills Elementary ranks 1829 th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1829^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 60% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Western Hills Elementary in El Paso, TX, is a mid-sized school serving 436 students from Pre-K through 5th grade in the El Paso Independent School District (Isd), where about 60% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. While the school has historically earned solid 3 or 4-star ratings, its most recent performance shows a notable dip to the 60th percentile, a decline from the 77th percentile it held in prior years.

This school stands out for its exceptional support of specific student groups, ranking in the 87th percentile for Hispanic students, English Language Learners, and low-income students. However, it struggles significantly with White students (19th percentile), Special Education students (25th percentile), and Gifted and Talented students (27th percentile). A key concern is a sharp drop in math proficiency across all grades—for example, 4th-grade math fell from 52% to 38% and 5th-grade math from 62% to 49%—while nearby schools like Marguerite J Lundy Elementary (94th percentile) and Polk Elementary (90th percentile) maintain much higher scores. Interestingly, Western Hills invests more per student ($14,038) and has smaller class sizes (13.4:1) than these higher-performing neighbors, suggesting resources alone aren't driving results.

Compared to its closest neighbor, Rivera Elementary (0.7 miles away, 51st percentile), Western Hills still outperforms a school with a similar economic profile, indicating its challenges aren't solely about poverty. The school also shows a curious strength in 5th-grade Spanish reading (100% proficiency in 2022-2023) but weakness in Spanish math, hinting at gaps in bilingual math instruction. For parents, Western Hills offers strong support for many students but faces clear math challenges that need attention, especially when compared to top-tier options in the area.

436

Students ?

13.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,171

Per pupil spending ?

59.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

530 Thunderbird Dr
El Paso, TX 79912-3397

(915) 832-6950

District: El Paso Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Western Hills Elementary usually attend:

High:

Coronado High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

86.5%

White:

9.4%

Two or more races:

2.5%

See top rated Texas elementary schools

Compare Western Hills Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 64th percentile in 2016 → 60th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Texas median (60th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school48%

District avg49%

Texas avg50%

1,829^th of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Top 40%▼ down 4 pts since 2016

From top 36% (2016) to top 40% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

14^th of 43Elementary Schools in the El Paso Independent School District (Isd)

531^st of 951El Paso 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	55.5	1829 of 4627	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	71.7	1061 of 4651	77.2%	★★★★☆
2024	62.0	1499 of 4710	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	72.8	1047 of 4647	77.5%	★★★★☆
2022	71.6	1087 of 4581	76.3%	★★★★☆
2021	54.9	1782 of 4578	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	65.1	1269 of 4479	71.7%	★★★★☆
2018	73.8	893 of 4359	79.5%	★★★★☆
2017	66.4	1185 of 4329	72.6%	★★★★☆
2016	64.9	1528 of 4286	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	68.6	1343 of 4320	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2014	73.8	1014 of 4260	76.2%	★★★★☆
2013	78.7	714 of 4221	83.1%	★★★★☆
2012	76.5	809 of 4206	80.8%	★★★★☆
2011	73.4	941 of 4095	77.0%	★★★★☆
2010	75.9	728 of 3937	81.5%	★★★★☆
2009	74.0	824 of 3884	78.8%	★★★★☆
2008	75.4	734 of 3768	80.5%	★★★★☆
2007	68.9	1142 of 3724	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2006	73.3	824 of 3476	76.3%	★★★★☆
2005	66.0	1208 of 3475	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2004	56.2	1683 of 3465	51.4%	★★★☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	74.1	647 of 4461	85.5%	★★★★☆
2021	63.4	1026 of 4331	76.3%	★★★★☆
2019	67.4	913 of 4295	78.7%	★★★★☆
2018	73.2	651 of 4240	84.6%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	79.4	488 of 3668	86.7%	★★★★☆
2023	71.1	680 of 3556	80.9%	★★★★☆
2022	67.3	795 of 3487	77.2%	★★★★☆
2021	59.7	988 of 3446	71.3%	★★★★☆
2019	72.6	545 of 3333	83.6%	★★★★☆
2018	74.3	494 of 3226	84.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	50.0	2096 of 4575	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	58.3	1363 of 3744	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.2	1163 of 4658	75.0%	★★★★☆
2023	81.4	649 of 4588	85.9%	★★★★☆
2022	72.2	1007 of 4561	77.9%	★★★★☆
2021	50.9	1984 of 4499	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.2	1596 of 4348	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.8	1120 of 4306	74.0%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	43.8	2237 of 3075	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	53.3	1563 of 2619	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	64.5	1204 of 2980	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.4	1156 of 2958	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	53.1	1656 of 3006	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.3	2054 of 3184	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	56.4	1678 of 3106	46.0%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	65.4	1182 of 4413	73.2%	★★★★☆
2024	71.5	889 of 4465	80.1%	★★★★☆
2023	78.7	575 of 4401	86.9%	★★★★☆
2022	73.7	766 of 4376	82.5%	★★★★☆
2021	50.5	1912 of 4329	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.1	1009 of 4188	75.9%	★★★★☆
2018	77.2	579 of 4168	86.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	63.1	1265 of 4520	72.0%	★★★★☆
2024	75.1	673 of 4594	85.4%	★★★★☆
2023	74.2	693 of 4521	84.7%	★★★★☆
2022	76.6	584 of 4477	87.0%	★★★★☆
2021	53.9	1764 of 4451	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.3	1540 of 4309	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	69.0	904 of 4264	78.8%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	58.8	1624 of 4582	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	72.0	837 of 3739	77.6%	★★★★☆
2024	54.7	1897 of 4647	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.8	1647 of 4585	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.4	1184 of 4563	74.1%	★★★★☆
2021	58.4	1568 of 4498	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	69.0	1054 of 4357	75.8%	★★★★☆
2018	76.2	784 of 4319	81.8%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	31.4	3235 of 4301	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	56.4	1485 of 4292	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	19.0	3713 of 3799	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	47.2	1577 of 3684	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.0	1248 of 3558	64.9%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	27.4	2447 of 3006	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	48.4	1688 of 3106	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	50.6	1566 of 3082	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	49.0	1529 of 3082	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	69.4	810 of 3142	74.2%	★★★★☆
2018	58.1	1208 of 3127	61.4%	★★★☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2024)87th percentile+19 vs school

At Risk (2022)85th percentile+9 vs school

Hispanic (2026)73rd percentile+13 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)72nd percentile+12 vs school

Male (2026)65th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2026)54th percentile-6 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)27th percentile-33 vs school

Special Education (2026)25th percentile-36 vs school

White (2026)19th percentile-42 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Reading61%+7 vs state

Mathematics42%-5 vs state

1.5

2 ratings · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, June 17, 2019

Benavides and Belnap protect bullies and threaten and intimidate victims and their parents if they speak up. Principal and Assistant Principal are nice in front of parents and mean and scary when parents aren't around. Students are taught not to report problems because they get in trouble rather than the bully. Students get yelled at by staff constantly. Creativity is stifled and kids are forced to copy artwork instead of showing any creative expression. This really is the worst school we've ever been to. Close Quote

Schools Near Western Hills 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 EOC Algebra I (2026)	STAAR Reading (2026)						STAAR Mathematics (2026)						STAAR Social Studies (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 EOC Algebra I End of Course	STAAR Reading 3rd Grade	STAAR Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Reading 6th Grade	STAAR Reading 7th Grade	STAAR Reading 8th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 5th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 6th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 7th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 8th Grade	STAAR Social Studies 8th Grade	Total
Western Hills Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	530 Thunderbird Dr	El Paso	79912	El Paso County	El Paso Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(915) 832-6950	436	33	13.4	59.9%	41 (9.4%)	4 (0.9%)	377 (86.5%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.5%)	55.5	1829^th of 4627 public elementary schools	60.5%		71.7	1061^st of 4651 public elementary schools	77.2%	768	16.7	22.2	44.4	0.0	22.2	11.1		59.4	55.9	66.3				36.2	38.2	48.8					$13,171
Rivera Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6445 Escondido Dr	El Paso	79912	El Paso County	El Paso Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(915) 236-3700	186	17	10.6	69.9%	30 (16.1%)	0 (0.0%)	151 (81.2%)	2 (1.1%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)								(n/a)																					$16,211
Putnam Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6508 Fiesta Dr	El Paso	79912	El Paso County	El Paso Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(915) 236-3225	260	24	11.0	76.9%	25 (9.6%)	7 (2.7%)	221 (85.0%)	2 (0.8%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)								(n/a)																					$14,129
Polk Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	940 Belvidere St	El Paso	79912	El Paso County	El Paso Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(915) 236-2775	649	41	15.7	43.9%	78 (12.0%)	10 (1.5%)	530 (81.7%)	20 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (1.7%)	87.7	464^th of 4627 public elementary schools	90.0%		86.9	495^th of 4651 public elementary schools	89.4%	31	40.0	53.9	45.5	33.3	18.2	33.3		73.7	69.7	83.8				56.8	59.3	81.3					$9,335
Dr Green Montessori	Public	PK-K	5430 Buckley	El Paso	79912	El Paso County	El Paso Independent School District (Isd)	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(915) 231-2700	87	5	17.4	50.6%	2 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	80 (92.0%)	4 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.1%)								(n/a)																					$00
Dr Green Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5430 Buckley Dr	El Paso	79912	El Paso County	El Paso Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(915) 231-2700	264	22	11.9	69.7%	27 (10.2%)	3 (1.1%)	225 (85.2%)	6 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	53.1	1955^th of 4627 public elementary schools	57.7%		48.3	2239^th of 4651 public elementary schools	51.9%	284	44.4	57.1	85.7	11.1	14.3	50.0		51.5	60.0	58.8				27.3	53.3	50.0					$14,228
Charles Q Murphree Pk-8	Public	PK, KG-8	499 Cabaret	El Paso	79912	El Paso County	El Paso Independent School District (Isd)	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(915) 236-3925	846	59	14.4	87.0%	43 (5.1%)	24 (2.8%)	760 (89.8%)	5 (0.6%)	5 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.1%)	38.5	2853^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	38.3%		18.2	4132^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	11.2%	1279	35.3	45.5	66.7	22.2	28.6	36.8	49.0	50.0	42.9	54.8	53.3	31.7	42.2	30.0	40.4	40.4	24.4	0.0	26.0	14.8	$10,506
Idea Mesa Hills Academy	Public, Charter	K-5	405 Walleberg	El Paso	79912	El Paso County	Idea Public Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 377-8000	643	30	21.2	79.9%	49 (7.6%)	16 (2.5%)	569 (88.5%)	5 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	42.2	2578^th of 4627 public elementary schools	44.3%		56.3	1760^th of 4651 public elementary schools	62.2%	818								39.1	50.0	58.6				29.7	48.7	44.0					$9,688
Marguerite J Lundy Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6201 High Ridge Dr	El Paso	79912	El Paso County	El Paso Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(915) 230-5148	831	54	15.3	28.3%	153 (18.4%)	15 (1.8%)	565 (68.0%)	78 (9.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (2.4%)	92.8	260^th of 4627 public elementary schools	94.4%		91.1	329^th of 4651 public elementary schools	92.9%	69	46.2	50.0	57.1	50.0	42.9	57.1		70.7	77.2	82.3				64.9	81.9	74.1					$8,989
Howard Burnham Elementary	Public, Charter	PK, KG-6	7310 Bishop Flores Dr	El Paso	79912	El Paso County	Burnham Wood Charter School District	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(915) 584-9499	388	22	17.8	58.0%	21 (5.4%)	2 (0.5%)	357 (92.0%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.0%)	53.2	1951^st of 4627 public elementary schools	57.8%		47	2320^th of 4651 public elementary schools	50.1%	369	28.6	40.0	15.4	21.4	5.0	37.5		65.4	58.6	44.1	44.7			46.2	55.2	52.8	43.4				$9,883

Frequently Asked Questions about Western Hills Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Western Hills Elementary?

Students at Western Hills Elementary are 86% Hispanic, 9% White, 3% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Western Hills Elementary attend?

Students who attend Western Hills Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Coronado High School

What district is Western Hills Elementary in?

El Paso Independent School District (Isd)

How many students attend Western Hills Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 436 students attended Western Hills Elementary.

Is Western Hills Elementary a good school?

Western Hills Elementary ranks 1829^th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Western Hills 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.