South Elementary

South Elementary in Levelland, TX, is a public school serving 238 students in grades 2 through 4 as part of the Levelland Independent School District (Isd), and it has experienced a significant decline in academic performance over the past two decades, now ranking in the 9th percentile statewide.

South Elementary faces serious academic challenges, particularly in math, where only 10.94% of 3rd graders were proficient in the most recent school year—far below the state average of 44.33%. This "math crisis" is a key concern for parents. The school also struggles compared to nearby schools. For instance, Capitol Elementary, just 1.77 miles away and part of the same district, outperforms South in every subject and grade level, with 45.36% of its 3rd graders proficient in math. The contrast is even starker with Sundown Elementary, a 5-star school only 10 miles away in the Sundown Independent School District (Isd), where 4th grade reading proficiency is 83.33% compared to South's 35.71%. These gaps suggest that while South has a favorable student-teacher ratio of 13.5:1 and spends over $10,000 per student, the issue may lie in instructional quality or curriculum effectiveness rather than resources.

Another troubling trend is the rapid decline in support for specific student groups. In the 2023-2024 school year, South Elementary was a top performer for Special Education students, ranking in the 91st percentile, but that dropped to the 22nd percentile just one year later. Similarly, Gifted and Talented students fell from the 57th to the 7th percentile. This sudden collapse in targeted programs is a red flag for parents, especially given that the school serves a high-poverty population, with over 78% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. Overall, South Elementary has gone from a 2-star rating in 2023-2024 to a 0-star rating in 2025-2026, indicating a systemic breakdown that parents should investigate further.