Ginger McNabb Elementary

Ginger McNabb Elementary is a PK-5 school in Spring, TX, serving 743 students within the Spring Independent School District (Isd), a district that faces significant systemic challenges but where this school has historically been a standout performer.

Ginger McNabb has a remarkable turnaround story, rising from the bottom 6% of Texas elementary schools in 2015-2016 to a peak in the top 27% just a few years later. While recent data shows a decline to the 34th percentile, it still outperforms most of its immediate neighbors in Spring ISD, such as Salyers Elementary (bottom 3%) and Gloria Marshall Elementary (bottom 11%). The school’s most exceptional strength is its Spanish-language program, where proficiency rates are extraordinary—for example, 5th-grade science scores in Spanish were 55%, nearly eight times the state average of 6.9%. This success extends to English Language Learners, where the school consistently ranks in the top 25% of the state, and to students from low-income backgrounds, who have historically performed well here despite over 83% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.

However, the school shows stark contrasts. While it excels with vulnerable populations, its Gifted and Talented program has collapsed from the top 28% to the bottom 14% of the state in just one year, suggesting a potential imbalance in focus. Additionally, a recent decline in English STAAR scores across all grades is a concern. Interestingly, spending does not explain performance: Ginger McNabb spends $10,408 per student, while the much lower-performing Smith Elementary spends $12,670, and the high-performing Haude Elementary in Klein Independent School District (Isd) spends just $8,929. This highlights that how money is spent—such as on effective bilingual programs—matters more than the total amount.