H T Jones Elementary

H T Jones Elementary is a PK-5 school in Hempstead, TX, serving 720 students as part of the Waller Independent School District (Isd), and has recently made a dramatic academic turnaround, jumping from the 27th percentile statewide to the 53rd percentile in the 2025-2026 school year and earning a 3-star rating.

The school's most impressive strength is its exceptional performance with students from low socio-economic backgrounds and English Language Learners, who ranked in the 64th and 61st percentiles respectively in the latest year. This is a significant achievement given that about 80% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. In a notable contrast, the school's Special Education students rank in the 12th percentile, indicating a critical area needing improvement. Compared to the nearby Hempstead Elementary (Hempstead ISD), which ranks in the 11th percentile, H T Jones outperforms it in every subject and grade level by 20-30 percentage points. However, it still trails high-performing schools like Keith Elementary and Swenke Elementary from Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (Isd), which have much lower poverty rates and consistently rank in the 90th+ percentile.

A key driver of the school's recent success is a targeted intervention in 3rd grade, where proficiency rates in Reading and Math jumped to 59% and 61% respectively—well above district and state averages. This is a massive improvement from just two years prior. The school also maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 14:1 and spends slightly more per student than its Waller ISD peers. While the school excels with its majority-minority population, its White student subgroup ranks in the 17th percentile, suggesting that the successful strategies may be specifically tailored to its most vulnerable students. Overall, H T Jones is a school on the rise, with clear strengths in serving its diverse student body and a notable gap in support for its Special Education students.