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Valley West Elementary

Q: Is Valley West Elementary a good school?

Valley West Elementary ranks 2741 st of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades PK, KG-5

2741^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 41% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Valley West Elementary in Houston, TX, is a PK-5 public school in the Houston Independent School District (Isd) serving 505 students in a high-poverty area, where over 90% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Valley West is in the midst of a remarkable turnaround, making it a school to watch. After years of struggling, the school has seen a dramatic improvement in academic performance, jumping from the 14th percentile in 2023-2024 to its highest rank in years at the 41st percentile in 2025-2026. This upward trend is unique among nearby schools. For instance, while Elrod Elementary (1.56 miles away) has been consistently high-performing, and Tinsley Elementary (1.62 miles) is trending downward, Valley West is showing sustained growth. A key driver of this success is a strategic investment in staffing: the student-teacher ratio has dropped significantly to 13.3:1, the lowest among its closest peers like Milne Elementary (15.5:1) and Gross Elementary (15.0:1).

The school is particularly effective at supporting its economically disadvantaged students, ranking in the 61st percentile for this group—far higher than its overall rank. This suggests that Valley West’s strategies are working equitably. However, the school’s improvement is driven primarily by gains in reading, where 5th-grade proficiency (56.96%) nearly matches the state average (58.47%). Mathematics remains a challenge, with 5th-grade proficiency (36.71%) lagging behind the state (47.38%). Additionally, the school could learn from Elrod Elementary, which achieves much higher scores on Spanish-language STAAR tests, indicating a potential area for growth in bilingual instruction. Overall, Valley West is a strong example of positive momentum in a challenging environment.

505

Students ?

13.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,689

Per pupil spending ?

90.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

10707 S Gessner Dr
Houston, TX 77071-3507

(713) 773-6151

District: Houston Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Valley West Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Welch Middle
High:	Sharpstown High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

63.4%

African American:

30.9%

White:

2.4%

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Compare Valley West Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 14th percentile in 2024 → 41st in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 41st (2026) from a 14th-percentile low (2024)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (44% vs 50% meeting standards)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school44%

District avg51%

Texas avg50%

2,741^st of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Bottom 41%▼ down 17 pts since 2016

From top 42% (2016) to bottom 41% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

97^th 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	40.1	2741 of 4627	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	49.4	2179 of 4651	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	20.2	4060 of 4710	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.7	3711 of 4647	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.4	3104 of 4581	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	52.9	1890 of 4578	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	25.8	3591 of 4479	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	38.3	2667 of 4359	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2017	41.1	2453 of 4329	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2016	59.6	1795 of 4286	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2015	46.1	2529 of 4320	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2014	59.8	1779 of 4260	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2013	41.4	2792 of 4221	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2012	65.7	1384 of 4206	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2011	70.3	1166 of 4095	71.5%	★★★★☆
2010	67.3	1303 of 3937	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	66.4	1342 of 3884	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2008	67.3	1221 of 3768	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2007	50.2	2195 of 3724	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2006	44.8	2295 of 3476	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2005	52.0	1931 of 3475	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2004	63.4	1316 of 3465	62.0%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	58.4	801 of 2406	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	38.4	1560 of 2443	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.0	1037 of 2443	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.3	828 of 2421	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	79.2	256 of 2444	89.5%	★★★★☆
2019	46.0	1292 of 2515	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	56.9	869 of 2483	65.0%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2023	17.8	921 of 1015	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	78.8	117 of 957	87.8%	★★★★☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	42.8	2616 of 4461	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	49.5	1870 of 4331	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	23.8	3778 of 4295	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	44.9	2316 of 4240	45.4%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	28.7	2888 of 3668	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.8	2530 of 3556	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	43.2	2053 of 3487	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	45.6	1721 of 3446	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	28.1	2770 of 3333	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	41.3	1963 of 3226	39.2%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	35.1	3115 of 4575	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	24.8	3806 of 4658	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.3	3718 of 4588	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	37.8	2902 of 4561	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	51.8	1926 of 4499	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	26.0	3566 of 4348	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	38.0	2739 of 4306	36.4%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	54.4	1790 of 3075	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	62.2	1332 of 2980	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.7	1370 of 2958	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	33.4	2258 of 3006	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.0	2835 of 3184	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.9	2881 of 3106	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	46.4	2317 of 4413	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	24.1	3784 of 4465	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.1	3534 of 4401	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	35.3	3076 of 4376	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	37.7	2724 of 4329	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	34.7	2978 of 4188	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	47.5	2101 of 4168	49.6%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	55.0	1777 of 4520	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	27.3	3755 of 4594	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	38.8	2954 of 4521	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	47.8	2299 of 4477	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	68.9	900 of 4451	79.8%	★★★★☆
2019	35.7	3077 of 4309	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	50.3	2022 of 4264	52.6%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	45.6	2404 of 4582	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	16.6	4241 of 4647	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	26.2	3657 of 4585	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.2	3265 of 4563	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	53.1	1818 of 4498	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	27.4	3441 of 4357	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	39.4	2601 of 4319	39.8%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	34.8	2937 of 4301	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	18.6	3937 of 4292	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	31.3	3022 of 4086	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	38.6	2373 of 3952	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	27.1	3049 of 3684	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.0	2514 of 3558	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

African American (2026)67th percentile+26 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)61st percentile+20 vs school

Male (2026)48th percentile+7 vs school

Hispanic (2026)47th percentile+7 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)42nd percentile~ school

At Risk (2022)41st percentile+9 vs school

Female (2026)32nd percentile-9 vs school

Special Education (2026)32nd percentile-9 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)21st percentile+7 vs school

Asian (2023)9th percentile-11 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Reading49%-6 vs state

Mathematics40%-7 vs state

★

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Schools Near Valley West Elementary

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
Valley West Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	10707 S Gessner Dr	Houston	77071	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 773-6151	505	38	13.3	90.9%	12 (2.4%)	156 (30.9%)	320 (63.4%)	9 (1.8%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.2%)	40.1	2741^st of 4627 public elementary schools	40.8%		49.4	2179^th of 4651 public elementary schools	53.1%	562					0.0			47.0	42.1	57.0				40.0	42.1	36.7					$8,689
Milne Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7800 Portal Dr	Houston	77071	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 778-3420	498	32	15.5	95.6%	9 (1.8%)	197 (39.6%)	284 (57.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.6%)	42.1	2582^nd of 4627 public elementary schools	44.2%		21.6	3933^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	15.4%	1351	0.0	22.2	10.0	46.2	29.4	0.0		50.0	32.8	56.9				37.1	35.6	56.7					$9,119
Southwest Public Schools Int'l Leadership Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	8440 Bissonnet St	Houston	77074	Harris County	Southwest Public Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 988-5839	526	7	77.0	97.3%	2 (0.4%)	26 (4.9%)	496 (94.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	25	3756^th of 4627 public elementary schools	18.8%		26.9	3612^th of 4651 public elementary schools	22.3%	144	7.1	50.0	36.4	0.0		0.0		27.1	37.7	45.8				26.0	42.1	37.5					$10,918
Step Charter II	Public, Charter	K-8	8282 Bissonnet St	Houston	77074	Harris County	Step Charter School	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(281) 988-7797	324	20	16.0	88.0%	5 (1.5%)	52 (16.0%)	265 (81.8%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36.6	2979^th of 4627 public elementary schools	35.6%		39	2839^th of 4651 public elementary schools	39.0%	140							32.3	47.2	40.0	48.7	41.5	57.1	48.4	55.6	25.0	25.6	46.3	45.2		29.0	$10,997
Halpin Early Childhood Center	Public	PK-K	10901 Sandpiper	Houston	77096	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 778-6720	302	19	15.8	99.7%	1 (0.3%)	59 (19.5%)	240 (79.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)								(n/a)																					$11,443
Step Charter III	Public, Charter	K-3	8320 W Airport Blvd	Houston	77071	Harris County	Step Charter School	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(713) 636-9918	76	7	10.3	77.6%	5 (6.6%)	38 (50.0%)	30 (39.5%)	1 (1.3%)	1 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.3%)	52.9	1965^th of 4627 public elementary schools	57.5%					(n/a)								55.6	46.2					66.7	38.5						$00
Elrod Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	6230 Dumfries Dr	Houston	77096	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 778-3330	742	42	17.6	98.0%	11 (1.5%)	128 (17.3%)	584 (78.7%)	16 (2.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	76.8	877^th of 4627 public elementary schools	81.0%		67.8	1219^th of 4651 public elementary schools	73.8%	342	56.8	61.9	56.0	40.0	76.9	78.1		52.6	70.3	75.7				41.7	60.7	67.2					$8,903
Etoile Academy Charter School-Bissonnet	Public, Charter	K-7	9745 Bissonnet St	Houston	77036	Harris County	Etoile Academy Charter School	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(713) 265-8657	303	19	16.2	95.7%	0 (0.0%)	39 (12.9%)	257 (84.8%)	4 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	21.2	3983^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	13.9%		15.8	4247^th of 4651 public elementary schools	8.7%	264	20.0			0.0				32.7		20.7	30.4	38.5	50.0	30.8		24.1	38.3	51.9	47.4	34.2	$13,630
Tinsley Elementary	Public	1-5	11035 Bob White	Houston	77096	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 778-8400	590	33	17.8	98.5%	6 (1.0%)	50 (8.5%)	530 (89.8%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30.2	3414^th of 4627 public elementary schools	26.2%		43.4	2534^th of 4651 public elementary schools	45.5%	880	27.3	66.7	66.7	31.6	55.7	50.0		22.8	34.3	46.3				53.9	50.0	58.3					$8,522
Best Elementary	Public	K-4	10000 Centre Pkwy	Houston	77036	Harris County	Alief Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 988-6445	655	48	13.5	93.0%	15 (2.3%)	63 (9.6%)	563 (86.0%)	8 (1.2%)	4 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	23.3	3865^th of 4627 public elementary schools	16.5%		9.9	4486^th of 4651 public elementary schools	3.5%	621	21.1	38.5						41.7	45.8					23.4	33.3						$9,213

Frequently Asked Questions about Valley West Elementary

Is Valley West Elementary a good school?

Valley West Elementary ranks 2741^st of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Valley West Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 505 students attended Valley West Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Valley West Elementary attend?

Students who attend Valley West Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Welch Middle
High : Sharpstown High School

What is the racial makeup of Valley West Elementary?

Students at Valley West Elementary are 63% Hispanic, 31% African American, 2% White, 2% Asian, 1% Two or more races.

What district is Valley West Elementary in?

Houston Independent School District (Isd)

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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.