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Petersen Elementary

Q: Is Petersen Elementary a good school?

Petersen Elementary ranks 2889 th of 4643 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

2889^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,643 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 38% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Petersen Elementary is a PK-5 campus in the Houston Independent School District (Isd) serving 357 students in a high-poverty area, where over 96% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the school has shown a strong turnaround trajectory by climbing from the 13th percentile statewide in 2022-2023 to the 38th percentile in the most recent ranking.

Petersen Elementary stands out for its exceptional support of specific student groups. The school ranks in the 65th percentile statewide for African American students, far exceeding its overall rank and outperforming most nearby schools. It also shows outstanding results for Special Education students, reaching the 90th percentile in 2023-2024, and is more effective with low socioeconomic status students (58th percentile) than with its general student body—the opposite of the typical pattern. Additionally, Petersen’s bilingual program is a clear asset, with students consistently outperforming district and state averages on Spanish-language STAAR exams in Reading and Math. For example, 59.26% of 3rd graders taking the Math exam in Spanish were proficient, compared to 42.53% in HISD and 27.95% statewide. While the school trails the highest-performing nearby option, Windsor Village Elementary (71st percentile overall), it is competitive in 5th-grade Math (50.91% proficient vs. Windsor Village’s 56.16%) and dramatically outperforms in 4th-grade Spanish Reading (46.67% vs. 26.32%). Notably, Petersen also outperforms its closest non-HISD neighbor, Ridgemont Elementary in Fort Bend Independent School District (Isd), which ranks in the 17th percentile despite being in a higher-ranked district.

The school’s primary challenge is a persistent weakness in 5th-grade Science, where proficiency rates (11.67% in 2024-2025) lag behind district and state averages. However, the overall narrative is one of rapid, broad-based improvement, with gains visible across nearly all subgroups and grade levels. Petersen’s per-pupil spending ($10,997) is higher than most nearby HISD schools, and its student-teacher ratio (14.8:1) is moderate. For parents, this is a school on the rise that excels at serving high-need populations, particularly through its bilingual program, and offers a stronger option than some nearby alternatives like Ridgemont Elementary.

357

Students ?

14.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,623

Per pupil spending ?

96.1%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

14404 Waterloo Dr
Houston, TX 77045-6620

(713) 434-5630

District: Houston Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Petersen Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Lawson Middle
High:	Madison High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

72.5%

African American:

24.9%

Asian:

1.4%

See top rated Texas elementary schools

Compare Petersen Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 8th percentile in 2016 → 38th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 30 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (43% vs 50% meeting standards)

!Reading scores 11 pts below the Texas average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school43%

District avg50%

Texas avg50%

2,889^th of 4,643

Texas public elementary schools ?

Bottom 38%▲ up 29 pts since 2016

From bottom 8% (2016) to bottom 38% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

104^th of 170Elementary Schools in the Houston Independent School District (Isd)

434^th of 947Houston 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	38.1	2889 of 4643	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	36.8	2998 of 4651	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.3	2707 of 4710	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	19.2	4057 of 4647	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	39.6	2763 of 4581	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	22.5	3676 of 4578	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	19.6	3947 of 4479	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.1	3628 of 4359	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	12.6	4114 of 4329	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	15.1	3924 of 4286	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	4.5	4254 of 4320	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	24.6	3642 of 4260	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	19.6	3817 of 4221	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	49.4	2320 of 4206	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2011	48.5	2500 of 4095	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2010	19.9	3604 of 3937	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	23.9	3440 of 3884	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	15.3	3545 of 3768	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	0.8	3717 of 3724	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	0.8	3474 of 3476	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	8.2	3403 of 3475	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	38.9	2519 of 3465	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	57.3	837 of 2414	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.2	782 of 2443	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	20.8	2182 of 2443	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	49.8	1090 of 2421	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	43.9	1270 of 2444	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	21.5	2257 of 2515	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	14.3	2398 of 2483	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	55.6	1713 of 4461	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	29.7	3388 of 4331	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	52.4	1811 of 4295	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.3	2053 of 4240	51.6%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	42.0	2085 of 3668	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.9	2583 of 3556	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	51.0	1588 of 3487	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	24.4	2988 of 3446	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	46.0	1781 of 3333	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	46.2	1692 of 3226	47.6%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	32.7	3285 of 4588	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.2	3343 of 4658	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.6	4328 of 4588	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	37.0	2969 of 4561	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	19.0	3948 of 4499	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.4	3605 of 4348	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.6	3335 of 4306	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	60.1	1465 of 3080	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	8.3	2888 of 2980	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.7	2819 of 2958	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	18.1	2645 of 3006	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	17.5	2968 of 3184	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	11.7	2990 of 3106	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	44.6	2449 of 4425	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.5	2290 of 4465	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.2	3368 of 4401	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	52.1	1948 of 4376	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	27.7	3387 of 4329	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.6	3245 of 4188	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.0	2851 of 4168	31.6%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	53.1	1921 of 4535	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.9	1814 of 4594	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	26.7	3730 of 4521	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	53.8	1898 of 4477	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	32.8	3193 of 4451	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.4	3619 of 4309	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.4	3216 of 4264	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	42.8	2564 of 4597	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	52.9	2005 of 4647	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	29.4	3448 of 4585	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	45.1	2440 of 4563	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	32.0	3043 of 4498	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	16.1	4032 of 4357	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	18.6	3892 of 4319	9.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	40.9	2406 of 4308	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	80.3	429 of 4292	90.0%	★★★★★
2023	13.9	4018 of 4086	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	21.9	3418 of 3799	10.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	66.3	680 of 3558	80.9%	★★★★☆

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)

African American (2026)65th percentile+28 vs school

At Risk (2022)62nd percentile+22 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)58th percentile+20 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)52nd percentile+15 vs school

Hispanic (2026)45th percentile+7 vs school

Male (2026)44th percentile+6 vs school

Special Education (2026)44th percentile+6 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)43rd percentile~ school

Female (2026)28th percentile-9 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Reading44%-11 vs state

Mathematics43%-4 vs state

★

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Schools Near Petersen 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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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
Petersen Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	14404 Waterloo Dr	Houston	77045	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 434-5630	357	24	14.8	96.1%	1 (0.3%)	89 (24.9%)	259 (72.5%)	5 (1.4%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	38.1	2889^th of 4643 public elementary schools	37.8%		36.8	2998^th of 4651 public elementary schools	35.5%	109	33.3	46.7		46.7	28.6			48.7	45.5	38.9				42.9	34.8	50.9					$11,623
King Early Childhood Center	Public	PK-K	3930 W Fuqua	Houston	77045	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 797-7900	299	17	17.5	—	2 (0.7%)	168 (56.2%)	122 (40.8%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)								(n/a)																					$8,208
Montgomery Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4000 Simsbrook Dr	Houston	77045	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 434-5640	373	29	12.8	92.5%	2 (0.5%)	141 (37.8%)	226 (60.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.1%)	39.2	2827^th of 4643 public elementary schools	39.1%		30	3430^th of 4651 public elementary schools	26.3%	603	0.0	50.0		30.8	25.0			52.8	54.9	44.6				32.4	48.1	30.4					$9,450
Almeda Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	14249 Bridgeport Rd	Houston	77047	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 434-5620	707	46	15.3	95.5%	8 (1.1%)	187 (26.4%)	505 (71.4%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.4%)	33.8	3179^th of 4643 public elementary schools	31.5%		45.3	2426^th of 4651 public elementary schools	47.8%	753				40.6	36.8			43.5	36.4	53.3				34.6	30.4	45.1					$8,235
Hobby Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4021 Woodmont Dr	Houston	77045	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 434-5650	447	34	13.1	97.1%	5 (1.1%)	183 (40.9%)	251 (56.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	4 (0.9%)	28.4	3544^th of 4643 public elementary schools	23.7%		39.9	2779^th of 4651 public elementary schools	40.2%	765	30.0	25.0		37.5	10.0			33.3	33.9	53.7				19.1	22.0	51.5					$13,133
Grissom Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4900 Simsbrook Dr	Houston	77045	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 434-5660	424	33	12.8	95.0%	5 (1.2%)	110 (25.9%)	303 (71.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	50.2	2109^th of 4643 public elementary schools	54.6%		24	3797^th of 4651 public elementary schools	18.4%	1688		0.0		23.5	27.3			48.6	37.9	60.7				55.0	60.0	45.0					$10,263
Reagan K-8 Educational Center	Public	K-8	4842 Anderson Rd	Houston	77053	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 556-9575	682	54	12.7	93.1%	6 (0.9%)	150 (22.0%)	520 (76.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	22.8	3902^nd of 4643 public elementary schools	16.0%		27.8	3563^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	23.4%	339	20.0	38.5	27.3	14.8	34.2	3.2	84.9	46.2	38.2	28.4	31.7	43.3	52.0	40.0	42.0	22.2	24.4	7.3	60.3	17.3	$14,260
Yes Prep Southwest Oaks Elementary	Public, Charter	PK, KG-3	5212 Anderson Rd	Houston	77053	Harris County	Yes Prep Public Schools Inc	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(713) 842-5700	447	28	16.1	85.7%	7 (1.6%)	59 (13.2%)	376 (84.1%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)								(n/a)	37.0			38.9				53.9						43.9							$00
Windsor Village Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	14440 Polo St	Houston	77085	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 726-3642	628	38	16.5	—	10 (1.6%)	206 (32.8%)	410 (65.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	65.1	1345^th of 4643 public elementary schools	71.0%		57.4	1705^th of 4651 public elementary schools	63.3%	360	47.4	26.3	22.2	63.0	21.1	12.5		54.0	60.3	68.5				33.3	55.1	56.2					$8,938
Ridgemont Elementary	Public	2-5	4910 Raven Ridge Dr	Houston	77053	Fort Bend County	Fort Bend Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(281) 634-4880	337	31	10.8	96.4%	4 (1.2%)	68 (20.2%)	261 (77.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	23.6	3856^th of 4643 public elementary schools	17.0%		23.8	3809^th of 4651 public elementary schools	18.1%	47	16.0	18.2	16.7	9.7	11.1			34.0	34.9	52.8				19.5	35.3	29.4					$15,459

Frequently Asked Questions about Petersen Elementary

Is Petersen Elementary a good school?

Petersen Elementary ranks 2889^th of 4643 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Petersen Elementary?

Students at Petersen Elementary are 73% Hispanic, 25% African American, 1% Asian.

What district is Petersen Elementary in?

Houston Independent School District (Isd)

How many students attend Petersen Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 357 students attended Petersen Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Petersen Elementary attend?

Students who attend Petersen Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Lawson Middle
High : Madison High School

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Latest Texas data All new data »

2015–16 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)Oct 20, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesSep 30, 2026

2025–26 STAAR, STAAR EOC & STAAR Spanish test scoresJun 12, 2026

2021–22 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 10, 2026

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.