Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Kelso Elementary

Q: Is Kelso Elementary a good school?

Kelso Elementary ranks 3219 th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

3219^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 30% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Kelso Elementary in Houston, TX, is a PK-5 public school in the Houston Independent School District (Isd) serving 364 students, with over 98% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. After nearly a decade ranking in the bottom 5-10% of Texas elementary schools, Kelso has shown a dramatic turnaround, climbing from the 6th percentile to the 30th percentile statewide and earning a 2-star rating for the first time in years. This improvement is particularly notable compared to nearby schools like Mading Elementary (7th percentile) and Hartsfield Elementary (11th percentile), which remain in the bottom tier.

The most striking differentiator is Kelso's exceptional performance with Special Education students, who ranked in the 80th percentile in 2025-2026—a monumental leap from the 5th percentile just two years prior. This suggests highly effective interventions for this group, a feat many schools struggle to achieve. Additionally, Kelso's 5th graders outperformed both district and state averages in Math, with a 53.49% proficiency rate compared to the district's 49.58% and state's 47.38%. However, the school shows a "two-speed" dynamic: while excelling in these areas, 4th-grade Reading proficiency (28.21%) is nearly half the state average (53.04%), and progress is inconsistent across grades and subjects.

Despite its recent gains, Kelso still faces significant challenges compared to high-performing neighbor Brookline Elementary (84th percentile), which has a similar demographic profile. Brookline's 5th-grade Math proficiency is 77.27% versus Kelso's 53.49%, and its 4th-grade Reading is 56.06% versus Kelso's 28.21%. Kelso's spending ($10,269 per student) and student-teacher ratio (13.5) are comparable to Brookline's, indicating that the turnaround is driven by instructional quality and leadership rather than resources. The school's future success depends on replicating its Special Education strategies across the entire student body and sustaining these recent gains.

364

Students ?

13.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,197

Per pupil spending ?

98.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5800 Southmund St
Houston, TX 77033-1832

(713) 845-7451

District: Houston Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Kelso Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Attucks Middle
High:	Sterling High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

58.8%

African American:

38.7%

Two or more races:

1.9%

See top rated Texas elementary schools

Compare Kelso Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 7th percentile in 2016 → 30th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 23 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (39% vs 50% meeting standards)

!Reading scores 16 pts below the Texas average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school39%

District avg51%

Texas avg50%

3,219^th of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Bottom 30%▲ up 23 pts since 2016

From bottom 7% (2016) to bottom 30% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

121^st of 170Elementary Schools in the Houston Independent School District (Isd)

438^th of 951Houston 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	33.1	3219 of 4627	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	35.0	3123 of 4651	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	23.2	3888 of 4710	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	12.6	4375 of 4647	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.9	4413 of 4581	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	19.8	3890 of 4578	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	12.0	4269 of 4479	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	11.8	4185 of 4359	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	15.0	4015 of 4329	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	14.0	3970 of 4286	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	21.3	3718 of 4320	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	30.3	3394 of 4260	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	24.4	3625 of 4221	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	43.5	2685 of 4206	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	7.8	4008 of 4095	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	0.1	3936 of 3937	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	77.4	644 of 3884	83.4%	★★★★☆
2008	56.8	1845 of 3768	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2007	26.8	3193 of 3724	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	38.2	2570 of 3476	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	27.7	2919 of 3475	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	64.1	1283 of 3465	63.0%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	59.1	782 of 2406	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	22.5	2136 of 2443	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.5	2219 of 2443	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	10.5	2379 of 2421	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	17.7	2299 of 2444	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	19.9	2300 of 2515	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	20.0	2251 of 2483	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	24.0	3851 of 4461	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	55.6	1459 of 4331	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	34.0	3121 of 4295	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.0	3179 of 4240	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	28.1	2916 of 3668	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.7	3180 of 3556	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	33.3	2593 of 3487	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	52.2	1360 of 3446	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	34.2	2440 of 3333	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.8	2328 of 3226	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	31.0	3387 of 4575	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.4	4113 of 4658	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.7	4325 of 4588	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	12.2	4363 of 4561	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	22.2	3727 of 4499	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	17.2	3996 of 4348	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	13.8	4105 of 4306	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2019	52.5	1937 of 3184	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	25.9	2716 of 3106	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	39.1	2832 of 4413	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.7	3382 of 4465	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.2	3785 of 4401	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.9	3475 of 4376	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	38.9	2646 of 4329	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	23.5	3655 of 4188	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.1	3638 of 4168	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	48.0	2271 of 4520	49.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	26.6	3808 of 4594	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.2	4206 of 4521	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	15.4	4220 of 4477	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	28.2	3501 of 4451	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	19.4	3990 of 4309	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	18.8	3988 of 4264	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	37.4	2937 of 4582	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	20.8	3997 of 4647	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.5	4172 of 4585	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	11.7	4359 of 4563	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	20.2	3854 of 4498	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	9.9	4252 of 4357	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	12.8	4146 of 4319	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	66.9	847 of 4301	80.3%	★★★★☆
2024	16.0	4068 of 4292	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	18.1	3867 of 4086	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	24.1	3439 of 3952	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	27.2	3029 of 3799	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.3	2878 of 3684	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	15.0	3510 of 3558	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Special Education (2026)80th percentile+50 vs school

African American (2026)67th percentile+37 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)50th percentile+19 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2019)39th percentile+34 vs school

Male (2026)36th percentile+5 vs school

Hispanic (2026)36th percentile+5 vs school

Female (2026)26th percentile-4 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)21st percentile+3 vs school

At Risk (2022)14th percentile+10 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics43%-4 vs state

Reading39%-16 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Kelso Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Kelso Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Kelso Elementary

Load more schools when map is moved

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)						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 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
Kelso Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5800 Southmund St	Houston	77033	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 845-7451	364	27	13.5	98.9%	2 (0.5%)	141 (38.7%)	214 (58.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.9%)	33.1	3219^th of 4627 public elementary schools	30.4%		35	3123^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	32.9%	96				15.0			38.3	28.2	48.8				41.9	31.7	53.5					$11,197
Southside Elementary	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	5515 S Loop E Ste B	Houston	77033	Harris County	Yes Prep Public Schools Inc	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 924-5300	675	47	14.3	95.6%	3 (0.4%)	353 (52.3%)	303 (44.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.1%)	23.7	3829^th of 4627 public elementary schools	17.2%		26.6	3633^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	21.9%	196							29.8	32.6	50.0				28.7	47.7	22.5					$14,246
Hartsfield Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	5001 Perry St	Houston	77021	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 746-8280	287	21	13.6	97.9%	5 (1.7%)	210 (73.2%)	65 (22.6%)	2 (0.7%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	18.7	4118^th of 4627 public elementary schools	11.0%		15.5	4259^th of 4651 public elementary schools	8.4%	141							40.6	14.8	36.1				32.4	25.9	33.3					$15,642
Alcott Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5859 Bellfort	Houston	77033	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 732-3540	202	17	11.8	98.0%	4 (2.0%)	140 (69.3%)	57 (28.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	30.6	3394^th of 4627 public elementary schools	26.6%		22.6	3876^th of 4651 public elementary schools	16.7%	482							37.5	38.1	52.2				30.3	33.3	47.8					$19,492
KIPP Peace Elementary	Public, Charter	PK, KG-4	5400 Mlk Jr Blvd	Houston	77021	Harris County	KIPP Texas Public Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(832) 230-0564	525	24	21.8	96.0%	2 (0.4%)	380 (72.4%)	126 (24.0%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.1%)	10	4486^th of 4627 public elementary schools	3.0%		11.7	4424^th of 4651 public elementary schools	4.9%	62							31.7	21.1					19.3	23.7						$7,405
Bastian Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5051 Bellfort	Houston	77033	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 732-5830	633	32	19.7	98.7%	13 (2.1%)	414 (65.4%)	197 (31.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.3%)	19.7	4060^th of 4627 public elementary schools	12.3%		23.9	3807^th of 4651 public elementary schools	18.1%	253							15.9	36.9	65.4				13.4	23.5	24.4					$8,357
Beatrice Mayes Institute Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	5807 Calhoun Rd	Houston	77021	Harris County	Beatrice Mayes Institute Charter School	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 747-5629	558	36	15.6	78.3%	0 (0.0%)	544 (97.5%)	5 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.4%)	34.7	3103^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	32.9%		31.9	3318^th of 4651 public elementary schools	28.7%	215							59.4	27.1	47.2	44.6	58.3	60.4	48.4	20.0	40.3	29.7	33.3	52.1	58.3	$11,866
Brookline Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6301 S Loop E	Houston	77087	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 845-7400	580	37	15.6	96.9%	7 (1.2%)	28 (4.8%)	538 (92.8%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	81.2	720^th of 4627 public elementary schools	84.4%		80.6	732^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	84.3%	12	0.0	61.5	33.3	41.7	47.2	20.0	62.1	56.1	71.0				65.8	73.1	77.3					$13,316
Mading Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8511 Crestmont St	Houston	77033	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 732-3560	298	22	13.6	96.3%	1 (0.3%)	182 (61.1%)	113 (37.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	15	4292^nd of 4627 public elementary schools	7.2%		24	3792^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	18.5%	500							29.0	41.7	37.2				22.6	25.0	25.0					$11,604
Gregg Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6701 Roxbury	Houston	77087	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 845-7432	289	23	12.3	96.9%	0 (0.0%)	40 (13.8%)	246 (85.1%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	62.8	1472^nd of 4627 public elementary schools	68.2%		60.4	1556^th of 4651 public elementary schools	66.5%	84	28.6	58.3					34.5	50.0	71.9				45.5	55.6	76.5					$14,334

Frequently Asked Questions about Kelso Elementary

Is Kelso Elementary a good school?

Kelso Elementary ranks 3219^th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Kelso Elementary?

Students at Kelso Elementary are 59% Hispanic, 39% African American, 2% Two or more races.

How many students attend Kelso Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 364 students attended Kelso Elementary.

What district is Kelso Elementary in?

Houston Independent School District (Isd)

What schools do graduates of Kelso Elementary attend?

Students who attend Kelso Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Attucks Middle
High : Sterling High School

Rate Kelso Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

TXTexas Elementary School Rankings

TXTexas District Rankings

Schools in Houston, TX

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Kelso Elementary!

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.