Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 76401

This analysis examines five elementary schools in zip code 76401 (Stephenville, TX), serving grades from Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade across four different Independent School Districts (ISDs), revealing a clear divide in performance and resources between the suburban Stephenville Independent School District (Isd) and the smaller, rural districts.

The standout school is Hook Elementary, part of the top-performing Stephenville ISD, which consistently ranks in the top 15% of Texas elementary schools and significantly exceeds state averages in all subjects. In contrast, Morgan Mill Elementary (Morgan Mill ISD) has the highest per-student spending ($10,933) and lowest student-teacher ratio (10.3:1) but ranks in the bottom 5-11% of Texas schools, showing that resource allocation does not guarantee academic success. Three Way Pk-6 (Three Way ISD) is a bright spot, with 5th-grade reading (72.73%) and math (63.64%) scores far exceeding state averages, a dramatic improvement from the previous year. The other Stephenville ISD schools, Chamberlin Elementary and Central Elementary, benefit from being in a district ranked in the top 10% of Texas, with Chamberlin spending the least per student ($6,032) yet still performing well.

The key takeaway for parents is that a student's academic prospects are heavily influenced by their district. The Stephenville ISD schools offer consistently high performance, while the rural schools face challenges despite higher spending. However, Three Way PK-6 demonstrates that targeted interventions can create excellence even in under-resourced environments. The average economic disadvantage rate across all schools is 55.71%, ranging from 42.89% at Hook to 71.32% at Three Way, and the average student-teacher ratio is 13.1:1. This data suggests that district leadership and teacher effectiveness are more critical drivers of success than spending alone.