Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 79022

Zip code 79022 in Dalhart, Texas, is served by two elementary schools within the Dalhart Independent School District (Isd): Dalhart Elementary (serving Pre-K through 2nd grade) and Dalhart Intermediate (serving grades 3 through 5). Both schools face significant socioeconomic challenges, with a very high percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, and the district itself is ranked in the bottom 18% of Texas school districts.

When comparing the two schools, Dalhart Intermediate stands out as the more analytically interesting due to its available standardized test data. The school demonstrates a notable "catch-up" effect: while 3rd-grade scores are critically low compared to state averages, 5th-grade performance in both Reading and Mathematics improves dramatically. In fact, 5th-grade Math proficiency (52.98%) actually exceeds the state average (47.38%), suggesting effective instruction in the upper grades. However, the school's state ranking has dropped sharply from the 26th percentile to the 14th percentile in one year. In contrast, Dalhart Elementary has an even higher poverty rate (84.51% free/reduced lunch) and spends less per student ($8,691) compared to the Intermediate school ($9,580), though both schools have nearly identical student-teacher ratios of about 16:1.

A critical finding is the stark bilingual achievement gap at Dalhart Intermediate. While 52.98% of 5th graders were proficient in English Math, 0% were proficient in the Spanish version of the same test, and similar gaps exist in Reading and Science. This suggests that students learning in Spanish may need additional support. Overall, despite spending a significant amount per student, the school's performance remains in the bottom 14% of the state, raising questions about resource allocation. The district's downward trend, combined with these performance challenges, paints a picture of a school system working hard to help students catch up, with notable success in 5th-grade math, but still facing considerable hurdles.