Summary:
Zip code 79102 in Amarillo, Texas, is home to two elementary schools, Bivins Elementary and Sanborn Elementary, both serving grades PK through 5 as part of the Amarillo Independent School District (ISD).
Bivins Elementary stands out as the higher-performing school in this area. It consistently ranks higher than Sanborn Elementary in state rankings, with Bivins in the 29th percentile and Sanborn in the 15th percentile for the 2025-2026 school year. Bivins also outperforms Sanborn in nearly every subject and grade level on STAAR tests, including a notable 51.61% proficiency in 5th Grade Reading compared to Sanborn's 39.02%. Interestingly, Bivins achieves these results while spending less per student ($9,994 vs. $11,513) and having a higher student-teacher ratio (15.8:1 vs. 13.9:1), challenging the assumption that more resources automatically lead to better outcomes. Both schools serve economically disadvantaged populations, with Bivins at 75.66% and Sanborn at 93.32% free/reduced lunch rates.
A critical weakness for both schools is 5th Grade Science, where proficiency rates are dramatically low—16.42% at Bivins and 13.73% at Sanborn—well below district and state averages. Additionally, Sanborn Elementary is the only school in the zip code offering STAAR tests in Spanish, indicating a significant bilingual student population, though performance on these tests is notably low. While Bivins has shown a general upward trend in its state ranking over recent years, Sanborn has been on a downward trajectory, suggesting differing challenges and improvement strategies between the two schools.
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