Summary:
In zip code 79731, there is one elementary school, Crane Elementary, serving grades PK through 5 in the Crane Independent School District (Isd), a rural area with a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students.
Crane Elementary is facing significant academic challenges. The school's state ranking has dropped sharply from the 29th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 6th percentile in 2025-2026, placing it among the lowest-performing elementary schools in Texas. Test scores are well below state averages across nearly all subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2025-2026 school year, only 24.79% of 3rd graders and 28.13% of 4th graders were proficient in reading, compared to state averages. Math proficiency is similarly low, with 3rd grade at 20.17% and 4th grade at 22.48%. The most concerning data point is 5th grade science, where just 5.88% of students were proficient in 2024-2025, a critical area needing immediate attention.
Despite spending $13,118 per student—a figure above the national average—academic outcomes are poor, raising questions about how funds are used. The school also has a high student-teacher ratio of 20.4 and 67.04% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. There is one relative bright spot: 5th grade reading in 2025-2026 reached 50.53% proficiency, coming within 8 percentage points of the state average. This suggests a potential strength in upper-grade reading instruction that could be studied and replicated in other subjects and grades to help reverse the school's overall decline.
Thank you for your feedback!