Summary:
This analysis examines five elementary schools serving grades PK-5 in the 75024 zip code of Plano, Texas, a high-performing area where all schools rank in the top 10% of Texas elementary schools and serve a relatively affluent community with an average free/reduced lunch rate of 12.0%.
The standout school in the area is Borchardt Elementary, which is the only school to maintain a 5-star rating for three consecutive years and boasts the highest state percentile rank (97th) in the most recent year. It also offers the best value, with the lowest spending per student ($7,750) while achieving top-tier performance within the highly-ranked Frisco Independent School District (Isd). In contrast, Haun Elementary has the highest spending ($8,655) and lowest student-teacher ratio (11.9:1) but the lowest overall ranking (93rd percentile) and highest free/reduced lunch rate (16.46%) among the five. Gulledge Elementary shows the most dramatic improvement, achieving the highest single-year rank in the zip code in 2023-2024 (97th percentile) and consistently outperforming its Plano Independent School District (Isd) averages by wide margins. The charter school, Imagine Lone Star International Academy, is the smallest (270 students) but has improved from a 4-star to a 5-star rating, though its small size leads to extreme year-over-year test score volatility.
Key findings include that Riddle Elementary presents a paradox with the lowest free/reduced lunch rate (6.2%) yet the most inconsistent test scores, preventing it from matching its district peer Borchardt. Across all schools, 5th-grade Science scores are the universal weakness, significantly lower than Reading and Math. The average student-teacher ratio is a favorable 15.2:1, and schools in Frisco ISD (average district rank 39th) outperform those in Plano ISD (average district rank 204th), highlighting a clear district performance gap.
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