Gilbert Willie Senior Elementary

Gilbert Willie Senior Elementary in Terrell, TX, serves 671 students in grades K-5 within the Terrell Independent School District (Isd), a district ranked in the bottom 20% of Texas school districts. The school faces significant academic challenges, with proficiency rates on the STAAR exam consistently well below state averages across all core subjects. For example, 3rd-grade Reading proficiency sits at 28.3% compared to the state's 51.1%, and 5th-grade Science has seen a dramatic collapse, dropping from 30% proficiency in 2022-2023 to just 4.6% in 2024-2025. Over 83% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, a rate much higher than the state average, and the school has consistently ranked in the bottom 10-15% of Texas elementary schools.

What makes this school stand out is the stark contrast with other schools in the same district and nearby areas. Within Terrell ISD, the Global Leadership Academy ranks in the 97th percentile and achieves proficiency rates 2-3 times higher, suggesting a "two-tier" system where higher-performing students may be concentrated in a specialized program. The disparity is even more pronounced when comparing to schools just 7-10 miles away in the Forney Independent School District (Isd), where schools like Blackburn Elementary (68th percentile) and Griffin Elementary (67th percentile) serve a lower percentage of economically disadvantaged students (around 48-51%) and achieve proficiency rates that are often double or triple those at Gilbert Willie. Notably, Gilbert Willie spends more per student ($10,380) than these higher-performing Forney schools, indicating that funding alone is not the issue.

There are a few other critical points for parents to consider. The school's performance for Special Education students has plummeted from the 60th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 4th percentile in 2025-2026, signaling a potential breakdown in support systems. Additionally, the "At Risk" subgroup has seen a steady decline from the 54th percentile in 2019 to the 26th percentile in 2022. However, there was a glimmer of hope in the 2022-2023 school year when 5th-grade Reading proficiency reached 46%, above the district average and close to the state average, showing that the school can achieve competitive results in specific areas. Understanding what drove that success could be key to future improvement.