Summary:
The nine elementary schools in Tyler, Texas zip code 75702, all part of the Tyler Independent School District (Isd), serve students from Pre-Kindergarten through 5th grade (with one exception) and are characterized by high levels of economic disadvantage, with most schools reporting over 90% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch.
Caldwell Arts Academy is the standout school in the area, consistently earning a 4-star rating and ranking in the 84th-88th percentile statewide. It is the only school serving grades up to 8th grade and has a much lower economic disadvantage rate (49.84%) compared to its peers. Its academic performance dramatically outpaces others, with 68.3% of students proficient in reading and 59% in math, versus area averages of 38.5% and 42.5%, respectively. In contrast, T J Austin Elementary and Orr Elementary are the most challenged, consistently ranking in the bottom 20% of Texas elementary schools, with T J Austin falling to the 5th percentile. Bonner Elementary and Jones Elementary show strong positive trends, improving from 2-star to 3-star ratings in recent years, suggesting effective recent interventions.
A key finding is that higher per-student spending does not correlate with better performance. The two highest-spending schools, T J Austin ($11,801) and Jones ($11,101), are among the lowest-performing, while Caldwell ($9,243) and Bonner ($10,617) spend less but achieve far better results. Science is a universal weakness across the area, with most schools scoring well below the state average on 5th-grade science tests. Additionally, several schools offer STAAR tests in Spanish with mixed results, indicating that bilingual education effectiveness varies by school and grade level. The average student-teacher ratio across the area is 15.7:1, ranging from 13.8:1 at Bonner to 17.3:1 at Douglas Elementary.
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