Summary:
There are five elementary schools serving grades PK-5 in the 77035 zip code of Houston, Texas, a community where the vast majority of students face significant socioeconomic challenges, as indicated by high free and reduced lunch rates.
The clear standout in this area is Red Elementary, which is the only school to earn a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger and consistently performs above its peers, particularly in Reading. Its state percentile rank of 50th is far higher than the other schools, and it has a much lower percentage of students on free/reduced lunch (67.36%) compared to the others, which all exceed 95%. Anderson Elementary is a secondary standout, showing a strong upward trend by improving its state rank from the 21st percentile to the 46th percentile in just two years. In contrast, Foerster Elementary is on a steep decline, with volatile and concerning performance. The two charter schools, Varnett Charter School (part of The Varnett Public School district) and Meyerpark Elementary (part of the Meyerpark Charter district), do not outperform the traditional Houston Independent School District (Isd) schools and are among the lowest-performing in the zip code.
Key takeaways include a fascinating paradox at Foerster, where students taking the Spanish-language STAAR tests achieve dramatically higher proficiency rates than the district and state averages, suggesting a strong bilingual program. However, a universal weakness across all five schools is 5th Grade Science, where only Red Elementary met the state average. Overall, while Red Elementary and the improving Anderson offer bright spots, the data shows that most schools in 77035 are struggling academically, with science education being a systemic issue that needs attention.
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