Delmas F Morton Elementary

Delmas F Morton Elementary is a PK-5 school in Grand Prairie, TX, serving 578 students within the Grand Prairie Independent School District (Isd), where about 89% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. While the school has earned a 1-star rating for the last four years and ranks in the 27th percentile statewide, it shows a notable strength in its bilingual program: Spanish-language STAAR Reading scores consistently outperform state averages, with 4th graders reaching 56% proficiency compared to 37% statewide. However, English-language scores lag behind, and Science is a critical weakness, with only 17% of 5th graders proficient in English Science and just 5% in Spanish Science in a recent year.

Compared to nearby schools, Morton Elementary stands out for its higher spending per student—$12,093 versus $8,909 at Ellen Ochoa Stem Academy At Ben Miliam Elementary and $9,102 at Stephen F Austin Environmental Science Academy—yet this investment hasn't translated into higher overall scores. Interestingly, Morton outperforms its closest charter neighbor, Uplift Grand Prep Ps, in 5th-grade Reading (49% vs. 51%) and Math (44% vs. 31%), and dramatically in Science (17% vs. 2%), suggesting it provides a more robust education despite its low ranking. The school also shows a "5th Grade Wall" pattern, where students who start behind in 3rd grade often make significant gains by 5th grade, though this growth varies by cohort.

Performance for specific student groups is highly volatile, with African American students dropping from the 20th to the 2nd percentile in one year, and Special Education students falling from the 35th to the 1st percentile. This instability points to inconsistent instructional strategies for these populations. Overall, Morton Elementary has two distinct academic identities: a successful Spanish-language program and a struggling English-language program, particularly in early grades and Science. For parents, this means the school offers strong bilingual literacy development but faces significant challenges in English instruction and science education, making it a mixed choice depending on a child's language needs and academic focus.