Top School Districts in Houston | Best School Districts in Houston

Are you contemplating of moving to Houston? Do you have kids that still go to school? Are you wondering where you can enroll them this fall?

Then you’ve come to the right place. I am Jennifer Yoingco of Texas Home Group. Welcome to my channel! Today, I will talk about the top school districts in Houston.

I have always stressed out time and again the importance of considering our child’s education when deciding to relocate to a new state. After all, our chosen school will be our child’s second home. So, it is only right that we determine which is best for them.

It’s a good thing that we have TEA in Houston. No, not that kind of drink that British people are so fond of. T-E-A stands for Texas Education Agency, it is a branch of the Government of Texas that is responsible for the oversight of public primary and secondary schools in the state of Texas. They measure the academic performance of districts and campuses based on the following domains: Student Achievement, School Progress, and Closing the Gap. Each district and campuses will receive a rating of A, B, C, D, or F based on these domains and their overall performance.

So, stay with me to find out which of these school districts received an excellent rating for the school year 2019 – 2020.

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If you are new to my channel, welcome. I talk about all things real estate, neighborhood tours, and tips that are useful to first time and experienced homebuyers, home sellers, landlords, and renters who are looking to relocate to the greater Houston area.

Today, let me talk about the top school districts in Houston as categorized by the Texas Education Agency or TEA. Every year, TEA releases A-F ratings for every public and charter districts based on their performance in the following areas:
1. Student Achievement. This shows how much a student know and are able to at the end of the school year
2. School Progress. This exhibits how much a student performs over time and how the growth compares to other schools
3. Closing the Gap. This measures the percentage of different group of students that performed above state goals in four areas:
a. Grade Level Performance
b. Graduation Rate
c. College, Career, and Military Readiness
d. English Language Proficiency

First on the list is Katy Independent School District with a total rating of A equivalent to a numerical rating of 92. It is located in Katy, Texas, and serves parts of Harris, Fort Bend, and Waller counties. According to the TEA website, a district or a school earns an A for exemplary performance when they serve most students well, encouraging high academic achievement and/or appropriate academic growth for almost all students. Most students will be prepared for eventual success in college, a career, or the military. Katy ISD covers 42 primary schools, 16 middle schools, 11 high schools and 1 alternative school. They offer a variety of school programs such as: Gifted and Talented/Advanced Placement program that seeks to develop critical and creative thinking, problem-solving, independent inquiry, research skills and effective learning through the use of rigorous and challenging curriculum. They also offer Special Education for students with disabilities wherein each student has the opportunity to participate in an appropriate educational setting designed to meet their individual needs.​ Katy ISD also incorporated Fine Arts education in their program starting from Kindergarten until the 12th grade. They have over 60 fine arts course offerings in this curriculum. They also have an extensive Athletics program and have won state titles since 1997. Their average SAT score is 1165, while their average ACT score is 24.8. According to state test scores, 67% of their students are proficient in math while 65% are proficient in reading. They have a student-teacher ratio of 15 to 1.

The second on the top school district list is Tomball Independent School District with a total rating of A equivalent to a numerical rating of 92. It is located in Tomball, Texas and serves students in northern Harris County and southwestern Montgomery county including the City of Tomball, Lakewood Grove, Northepointe, Village Creek, Creekside Park Village (a section of The Woodlands), and the communities of Hufsmith, Decker Prairie, and Rose Hill. It operates 10 elementary schools, 3 intermediate schools, 3 junior high schools and 3 high schools. Tomball ISD’s average SAT score is 1154 while their average ACT score is 23.9. According to state test scores, 73% of their students are proficient in math while 68% are proficient in reading. They have a student-teacher ratio of 16 to 1.

The third on our list is Lamar Consolidated Independent School District with a total rating of B equivalent to a numerical rating of 90. According to the TEA website, a district or school earns a B for recognized performance. It is located in Rosenberg, Texas and serves almost 43% of Fort Bend County covering the cities of Richmond, Rosenberg, Kendleton, Simonton, Thompsons, a small portion of Sugarland, most of Fulshear, the village of Pleak, the community of Lakemont, and the unincorporated cities of Booth, Crabb, Cumings, Foster and Powell Point. It operates 1 early childhood education center, 23 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, 5 junior high schools and 5 high schools. It was a consolidation of Richmond ISD, Rosenberg ISD, Beasely ISD along with a number of rural “Common School Districts”. It was named H-E-B Excellence in Education School District in 2009. This award is designed to recognize school districts on the following criteria:
1. Commitment to student achievement through innovative programs
2. Parent/Community involvement
3. Professional development opportunities for teachers and administrators
Lamar CISD is also home to National Principals of the Year, Gates Millennium Scholars, National Blue Ribbon Schools, Rodeo Art Grand Champions and the State Athletic Champions. Their average SAT score was 1011 while their average ACT score was 22.4. According to state test scores, 60% of students are at least proficient in math and 56% in reading. They have a student-teacher ratio of 16 to 1.

The fourth on our list is Clear Creek Independent School District with a total rating of B equivalent to a numerical rating of 89. According to the TEA website, a district or school earns a B for recognized performance.  It is based in League City, Texas and serves most of the Clear Lake area and some other neighboring parts of the Houston Metropolitan area. It operates 26 elementary schools, 10 intermediate schools, 6 composite high schools and 3 alternative campuses. It also operates 2 football stadiums namely: Veterans Memorial Stadium and Challenger Columbia Stadium. Both of which serve all five of the district’s 6A high schools. Clear Creek ISD’s average SAT score was 1152 while their average ACT score was 24.2. According to state test scores, 60% of students are at least proficient in math and 56% in reading. They have a student-teacher ratio of 16 to 1.

The fifth on our list is Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District with a total rating of B equivalent to a numerical rating of 89. It is located in Houston, Texas and serves a small portion of Houston, including the Fairbanks section, the city of Jersey Village, and other unincorporated areas in Harris county. According to Wikipedia, it is the largest Recognized school district in the state of Texas with 75 out of 78 campuses receiving an ‘Exemplary’ or ‘Recognized’ rating by the Texas Education Agency in 2010. It operates 56 elementary schools, 18 middle schools, 12 high schools, and 5 special program facilities. 9 of these schools had been recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School for its exemplary performance in closing any achievement gaps between students and its excellence in student achievements. It was also selected as an honoree for Districts of Distinction in 2019, a national recognition program that highlights school districts leading the way in the successful implementation of new ideas. Cypress-Fairbanks ISD’s average SAT score was 1129 while their average ACT score was 19.5. According to state test scores, 56% of students are at least proficient in math and 53% in reading. They have a student-teacher ratio of 16 to 1.

The sixth is Fort Bend Independent School District with a total rating of B equivalent to a numerical rating of 89. It is located in Sugarland, Texas and serves almost all of the city of Sugar Land, the city of Meadows Place, the Fort Bend County portion of Missouri City, Arcola, small sections of Houston, small sections of Pearland (including some of Shadow Creek Ranch) the unincorporated communities of Clodine, Four Corners, Juliff, and Fresno, and the Fort Bend County portion of Mission Bend. According to Wikipedia, Fort Bend ISD is the seventh largest public school system in the state of Texas and third largest within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown Metropolitan Area. It is currently the largest employer in Fort Bend County with more than 9,000 district employees and encompasses some of the wealthiest locales in the State of Texas. The district is the only school district in the nation to be named a 2011 National School District of Character by the National Schools of Character Program in Washington DC—and only one of two districts in Texas to be honored with this designation. It is also known for having some of the best athletic teams in Houston. All 11 high schools contain 2 gyms, Tennis Courts, a football/soccer/track field, a baseball field, and a softball field, each fitted with LED scoreboards. It has been named one of the top 100 School Districts in the Nation for a Fine Arts Education, according to a nationwide survey of public and private school programs. It operates 51 elementary schools, 15 middles schools and 11 high schools. 3 of these schools had been recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School. It was also a 2-time recipient of the H-E-B Excellence in Education Award in for the Large School District Category. Fort Bend ISD’s average SAT score was 1142 while their average ACT score was 23.4. According to state test scores, 58% of students are at least proficient in math and 56% in reading. They have a student-teacher ratio of 16 to 1.

The seventh on our list is Klein Independent School District with a total rating of B equivalent to a numerical rating of 89. It is located along Spring Cypress in Texas and serves unincorporated portions of northern Harris County and includes the communities and neighborhoods of Klein, Kohrville, Louetta, and parts of North Houston. It operates 32 elementary schools, 10 intermediate schools and 5 high schools. Klein ISD was recognized for its Excellence in School Nutrition Healthier Us School Challenge by the Texas Department of Agriculture in 2014. It was also among the 5 finalists of the 2019 H-E-B Excellence in Education Award. Additionally, Klein ISD was recognized in 2019 as one of the 26 most innovative, pioneering companies in the greater Houston area by the Houston Business Journal in its first-ever Innovation Awards. In 2018, they received a 5-star rating from the TXSmartSchools initiative which aims to improve education by identifying Smart Schools that are both effective and efficient and then highlight their successful practices. And they were nationally recognized as a District of Distinction by District Administration magazine for Innovation Challenges just recently. Klein ISD’s average SAT score was 1160 while their average ACT score was 26. According to state test scores, 52% of students are at least proficient in math and 50% in reading. They have a student-teacher ratio of 15 to 1.

The eight on our list is Galena Independent School District with a total rating of B equivalent to a numerical rating of 88. It is based in Channelview, Texas and serves the city of Galena Park, about half of the city of Jacinto City, small portions of the city of Houston (including Fidelity and portions of the Northshore area), and unincorporated areas in Harris County. It operates 1 early childhood center located in Galena Park, 15 elementary schools, 5 middle schools, and 2 secondary schools. Galena Park ISD’s average SAT score was 1049 while their average ACT score was 18.3. According to state test scores, 49% of students are at least proficient in math and 39% in reading. They have a student-teacher ratio of 16 to 1.

The ninth on our list is Houston Independent School District with a total rating of B equivalent to a numerical rating of 88. It is based in Houston, Texas and is considered the largest public school system in Texas, and the eighth-largest in the United States. It covers territory in nine municipalities and some unincorporated areas in Greater Houston, including all of the cities of Bellaire, West University Place, Southside Place, and most of the area within the Houston city limits. HISD also takes students from the Harris County portion of Missouri City, a portion of Jacinto City, a small portion of Hunters Creek Village, a small portion of Piney Point Village, and a small portion of Pearland. It has 284 schools inclusive of early childhood development centers, elementary schools, intermediate schools and high schools. Several schools under Houston ISD have received the most coveted National Blue Ribbon recognition. Its average SAT score was 1110 while their average ACT score was 26. According to state test scores, 43% of students are at least proficient in math and 39% in reading. They have a student-teacher ratio of 18 to 1.

The tenth on our list is Humble Independent School District with a total rating of B equivalent to a numerical rating of 88. It is located in Humble, Texas and serves the city of Humble, small portions of the city of Houston (including the community of Kingwood), and portions of unincorporated Harris County (including the communities of Atascocita and Fall Creek). It currently operates 25 elementary schools, 7 middles schools, 1 magnet high school and 5 high schools. It has become one of the fastest-growing districts in Texas. In 2015, Humble ISD was named the Large District winner of the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards program which signifies Humble ISD as a leader in public education among Texas school districts. In 2018, 5 Humble ISD schools received a CREST (Counselors Reinforcing Excellence in Texas) award for excellence in school counseling. In the same year, the Kingwood High School students were awarded the Most Spirited School of the Week by Channel 2 and Verizon Wireless. In 2019, they were honored with the inaugural District of Distinction Award at the Texas Art Education Association’s (TAEA) awards for providing a well-rounded education that advocates and integrates visual arts curriculum to inspire creativity and reach all different learners. Humble ISD’s average SAT score was 1140 while their average ACT score was 26. According to state test scores, 51% of students are at least proficient in math and 51% in reading. They have a student-teacher ratio of 16 to 1.

Choosing the best school for our children is one of the most difficult part of parenthood. We need to be meticulous and careful in selecting where we send our children. Their future lies in our hands. It is up to us to place them on the road to success.

If you learned anything today, please do not forget to subscribe to my channel. Click that bell button for up to the minute updates. And of course, if you liked this video, do not forget to click the like button. If you have questions, do not hesitate to comment down below and I will try my best to answer them for you.

Again, this is Jennifer Yoingco.

Sources:
1. https://tea.texas.gov/texas-schools/accountability/academic-accountability/a-f-resources
2.https://txschools.gov/schools (ranking)
3. https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-school-districts/m/houston-metro-area/ (ranking and scores)
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_school_districts_in_Houston
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katy_Independent_School_District
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomball_Independent_School_District
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamar_Consolidated_Independent_School_District
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clear_Creek_Independent_School_District
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cypress-Fairbanks_Independent_School_District
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Bend_Independent_School_District
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klein_Independent_School_District
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galena_Park_Independent_School_District
13.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston_Independent_School_District
14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humble_Independent_School_District
15. http://www.katyisd.org/Pages/default.aspx
16. https://www.tomballisd.net/
17. https://www.lcisd.org/
18. https://www.ccisd.net/
19. https://www.cfisd.net/en
20. https://www.fortbendisd.com/
21. https://kleinisd.net/
22. https://www.galenaparkisd.com/
23. https://www.houstonisd.org/
24. https://www.humbleisd.net/