Summary:
There are five elementary schools in zip code 76240 (Gainesville, TX), serving grades PK-5 or PK-8 across a mix of a larger district and three small, rural independent school districts.
For parents, the most important takeaway is the stark contrast between the two types of districts in this area. Gainesville Independent School District (Isd) operates W E Chalmers Elementary and Edison Elementary, which serve a high-poverty population (with free/reduced lunch rates around 76%) and have high student-teacher ratios of 18.1:1. These schools consistently score well below state averages on STAAR tests, with 3rd-grade reading proficiency at just 17.95% for Chalmers. In contrast, the three rural schools—Callisburg Elementary, Walnut Bend Elementary, and Sivells Bend Elementary—all have lower poverty rates, smaller class sizes (ratios from 8.2:1 to 14.3:1), and generally higher academic performance. Callisburg is the standout for consistency, being the only school in the zip code with a district ranked in the top half of Texas (43rd percentile) and achieving near-state-average scores in 3rd-grade reading (51.11%) and math (38.89%).
However, the data also reveals that small size and high spending don't guarantee uniform success. Sivells Bend Independent School District (Isd) spends the most per student ($19,856) and has the lowest student-teacher ratio (8.2:1), yet its performance is highly volatile—excelling in upper-grade reading (87.5% in 7th grade) while struggling with early-grade math (0% proficiency in 3rd, 4th, and 7th-grade math). Meanwhile, Walnut Bend Independent School District (Isd) shows a notable strength in middle-school reading, with 88.89% proficiency in 6th grade. Overall, parents should weigh the trade-offs: the Gainesville ISD schools offer a larger, more urban environment but face significant academic challenges, while the rural schools provide smaller settings and better test scores, though with some inconsistency, particularly at Sivells Bend.
Thank you for your feedback!