Summary:
This analysis examines four exceptional elementary schools in The Woodlands, TX (zip code 77382), all part of the highly rated Conroe Independent School District (Isd), serving grades PK-4 or PK-6 with a combined enrollment of over 3,900 students in an affluent area.
All four schools consistently rank among the top 6% of Texas elementary schools, but Tough Elementary stands out as the consistent top performer, ranking in the 98th percentile in 2023-2024 and maintaining a 95th percentile ranking in the most recent data. Buckalew Elementary showed a notable dip, dropping from the 98th to the 95th percentile, while Bush Elementary is the only school with an upward trend in its numerical rank. Deretchin Elementary remains strong but has seen a slight decline. A key differentiator is that Tough and Deretchin serve 6th graders, where math proficiency jumps dramatically—Tough achieved a 90.13% proficiency rate in 6th grade math, far exceeding the district's 58.56%. Science scores also vary, with Tough (73.25%) outperforming Deretchin (62.37%) in 5th grade.
An interesting finding is the inverse relationship between spending and performance: Buckalew spends the most per student ($9,246) but ranks lowest, while Bush spends the least ($7,951) and ranks higher. All schools have very low free/reduced lunch percentages (6.58% to 18.1%) and favorable student-teacher ratios (15.9:1 to 17.2:1). While three of four schools have seen slight ranking declines, the overall quality remains elite, making this zip code a standout for elementary education.
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