Summary:
This analysis examines five elementary schools serving grades PK through 5 in the 77033 zip code of Houston, Texas, a community where all schools serve a highly economically disadvantaged student population, with free and reduced lunch rates ranging from 95.56% to 98.9%.
Kelso Elementary stands out as the strongest performer, achieving a 2-star rating (30th percentile) in the 2025-2026 ranking, a significant improvement from its prior 1-star status, and its 5th-grade math scores exceed both the Houston Independent School District (Isd) and state averages. Alcott Elementary offers the most stable performance and the lowest student-to-teacher ratio (11.8:1), while Bastian Elementary experienced the most dramatic volatility, dropping from a 3-star, 62nd percentile school to a 1-star, 12th percentile school in just two years. Southside Elementary, a charter school under Yes Prep Public Schools Inc, does not outperform its HISD counterparts, ranking at the 17th percentile, while Mading Elementary is the lowest-ranked school at the 7th percentile with a 0-star rating.
Key findings reveal that spending does not correlate with performance, as Alcott has the highest per-student spending ($13,401) but not the highest test scores, while Bastian had the lowest spending ($10,179) yet was previously top-ranked. A widespread science crisis exists across all schools, with 5th-grade Science STAAR scores below 16% proficient, far below the state average of 29.57%. The dramatic decline of Bastian Elementary serves as a cautionary tale about relying on single-year data, highlighting the need for deeper investigation into factors like leadership changes or curriculum shifts that may affect school quality in this area.
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