Ray Elementary

Ray Elementary in Waxahachie, TX, is a PK-5 school in the Waxahachie Independent School District (Isd) serving 386 students, with a student-teacher ratio of 13.3 and about half of its students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. The school presents a mixed performance profile, excelling notably with its Gifted and Talented students—ranking in the top 12% of Texas schools—while also showing strong support for its African American students, who perform in the 66th percentile. However, this strength contrasts with a significant weakness in serving its White students, who rank in the 23rd percentile, and a pattern of declining performance as students move from 3rd to 5th grade, particularly in reading and math.

One standout finding is a "science surprise": in the 2024-2025 school year, 5th-grade science scores at Ray Elementary were 50% proficient, nearly double the district average and well above the state average, suggesting a potential strength in the science curriculum or a particularly effective teacher. The school also shows year-over-year volatility in test scores, such as 4th-grade reading jumping from 26% to 51% proficient in one year, indicating that performance may heavily depend on the specific teacher a student gets. Compared to nearby schools, Felty Elementary (4.61 miles away) consistently outperforms Ray in nearly every subject, likely due to its lower poverty rate, while Clift Elementary (2.73 miles away) has a higher poverty rate and lower performance, highlighting how socioeconomic factors influence outcomes within the same district.

For parents, Ray Elementary offers a small, close-knit environment with potential for individualized attention, but its inconsistent academic results across grades and student groups suggest a lack of a stable, school-wide instructional system. The school's strong Gifted and Talented program and occasional science excellence are bright spots, but the declining upper-grade performance and volatility in test scores may be concerns for families seeking consistent growth. While it outperforms the lowest-performing school in the district, Clift Elementary, it lags behind higher-performing peers like Felty Elementary, making it a school where outcomes can vary significantly from year to year and classroom to classroom.