Polk Elementary

Summary:

Polk Elementary is a public elementary school in El Paso, Texas, serving 627 students in grades PK-5. As part of the El Paso Independent School District, Polk Elementary consistently outperforms the district and state in academic performance, particularly in reading and science.

Polk Elementary's 3rd grade reading proficiency rate was 73.56%, significantly higher than the district's 48.65% and the state's 48.85%. The school also excels in 5th grade science, with a 27.27% proficiency rate, compared to 19.88% for the district and 26.29% for the state. Polk Elementary's strong performance extends to its bilingual and English Language Learner (ELL) students as well. Notably, the school ranks in the top 10-15% of Texas elementary schools, earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Polk Elementary serves a relatively high percentage of economically disadvantaged students, the school's academic excellence remains impressive. Compared to nearby public schools like Tippin Elementary, Marguerite J Lundy Elementary, and Kohlberg Elementary, Polk Elementary consistently outperforms in STAAR assessments. The nearby Howard Burnham Elementary, a public charter school, also demonstrates strong academic performance, providing a valuable comparison for Polk Elementary's achievements.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 940 Belvidere St
       El Paso, TX  79912-2425


(915) 236-2775

District: El Paso Independent School District (Isd)

SchoolDigger Rank:
862nd of 4,675 Texas Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $10,031 Help


Students who attend Polk Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Hornedo Middle
High:    Franklin High School

Student/teacher ratio:  15.6 Help
Number of students:  640

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
82.8%
White:
9.8%
Asian:
3.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  48.1% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Polk Elementary ranks better than 81.6% of elementary schools in Texas. It also ranks 4th among 42 ranked elementary schools in the El Paso Independent School District (Isd). (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 77.18. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (82.8%), White (9.8%), Asian (3.9%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 48.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Polk Elementary is 15.6. 36 elementary schools in the El Paso Independent School District (Isd) have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Polk Elementary employs 40.8 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Polk Elementary is $10,031. 41 elementary schools in the El Paso Independent School District (Isd) spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Polk Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Polk Elementary 862nd of 4675 Texas public elementary schools. (See Polk Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Asian students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


El Paso Independent School District (Isd):

SchoolDigger ranks El Paso Independent School District (Isd) 610th of 968 Texas school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Polk Elementary.

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Rank History for Polk Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Polk Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 80.40 394th 3465 88.6%
2005 83.25 272nd 3475 92.2%
2006 82.23 294th 3476 91.5%
2007 81.87 334th 3724 91.0%
2008 81.84 378th 3768 90.0%
2009 82.87 328th 3884 91.6%
2010 81.34 389th 3937 90.1%
2011 84.18 230th 4095 94.4%
2012 87.33 337th 4206 92.0%
2013 92.26 108th 4221 97.4%
2014 86.55 371st 4260 91.3%
2015 90.40 180th 4320 95.8%
2016 89.14 256th 4286 94.0%
2017 94.41 219th 4329 94.9%
2018 96.22 134th 4359 96.9%
2019 95.21 160th 4479 96.4%
2021 89.77 412th 4578 91.0%
2022 90.11 349th 4581 92.4%
2023 76.37 906th 4647 80.5%
2024 77.18 862nd 4675 81.6%
See the entire list of Texas Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Polk Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 95.24 13th 1046 98.8%
2019 91.40 35th 1112 96.9%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Polk Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 91.63 73rd 3226 97.7%
2019 91.11 94th 3333 97.2%
2021 86.80 204th 3446 94.1%
2022 89.74 137th 3487 96.1%
2023 75.09 548th 3556 84.6%
2024 77.98 510th 3638 86.0%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Polk Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 85.91 174th 3558 95.1%
2019 91.61 101st 3684 97.3%
2021 91.19 116th 3799 96.9%
2022 86.42 216th 3952 94.5%
2023 76.37 491st 4086 88.0%
2024 41.45 2472nd 4261 42.0%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Polk Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 89.82 158th 4264 96.3%
2019 95.56 52nd 4309 98.8%
2021 88.60 184th 4451 95.9%
2022 86.94 251st 4477 94.4%
2023 69.82 916th 4521 79.7%
2024 60.20 1478th 4560 67.6%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Polk Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 95.41 134th 4306 96.9%
2019 92.63 211th 4348 95.1%
2021 88.20 412th 4499 90.8%
2022 86.56 428th 4561 90.6%
2023 70.45 1083rd 4588 76.4%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Polk Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 67.77 1031st 3106 66.8%
2019 65.31 1146th 3184 64.0%
2021 41.25 2045th 3006 32.0%
2022 37.58 2281st 2958 22.9%
2023 36.59 2373rd 2980 20.4%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for At Risk students at Polk Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 91.80 121st 4240 97.1%
2019 96.81 40th 4295 99.1%
2021 93.08 116th 4331 97.3%
2022 91.22 152nd 4461 96.6%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for At Risk Students!

Rank History for Male students at Polk Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 94.46 168th 4319 96.1%
2019 95.33 120th 4357 97.2%
2021 88.64 395th 4498 91.2%
2022 90.40 300th 4563 93.4%
2023 77.34 818th 4585 82.2%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Polk Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 77.74 137th 1005 86.4%
2019 88.53 12th 1009 98.8%
2024 81.65 67th 1035 93.5%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Polk Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 95.83 72nd 4168 98.3%
2019 95.02 82nd 4188 98.0%
2021 91.82 171st 4329 96.0%
2022 90.14 203rd 4376 95.4%
2023 72.66 809th 4401 81.6%
2024 71.72 868th 4431 80.4%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Polk Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 95.31 28th 3127 99.1%
2019 89.69 131st 3142 95.8%
2021 81.66 332nd 3082 89.2%
2022 89.90 106th 3082 96.6%
2023 84.40 270th 3106 91.3%
2024 78.41 437th 3078 85.8%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Texas Education Agency, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Polk Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Texas Education Agency

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)
0%

0%

0%

0%

100%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Open Quote I'm rather confused by the poor treatment my family has received at Polk Elementary. It would seem to me that only those children whose parents make a generous living are treated respectably at Polk. I'm talking about the cost of the extracurricular activities as well as the bill-collector attitude of the cafeteria administration who will treat my child like a second-class student while hounding me for a 5 cent debt. This may only be my misconception but certain other occurrences happened over the course of my children's attendance to lead me to believe that the school's administration is very accommodating to those parents with means who silently toe the line and much less to those of us on budgets who do the unthinkable and stand up for our children. While the teaching staff sports some very accomplished teachers there are a few bad apples whose behavior left me facing the daunting possibility of sending my little ones elsewhere. The choice was eventually made for me by the school itself. I had a few words with an office attendant over a situation where I felt it my duty to defend my son. There was no altercation, only my son's hurt feelings with regard to an annual talent show, and my need to hold an uncaring office attendant accountable for her "it's not my problem" attitude. There were other things that happened during that year and the year before but this was the instance when I decided we'd had enough. Soon after, I received a letter from the school that we would not be invited back the following year (we'd moved the year before to a home a few feet outside of Polk's district but had been assured at the time that we'd be accepted for the duration). The letter ambiguously stated that enrollment was up and we were wait listed and to seek enrollment elsewhere. I called episd to follow up on Polk's enrollment and learned this was not the case. It would seem that the administration at Polk was not thoroughly truthful with respect to the true reason we were wait listed. This left me questioning: Were we bumped in favor of another whose wallet is bigger than ours? Or perhaps I'm right after all that defending your child against a perceived bully is frowned upon at Polk. However far I may be reaching here, they are both still legitimate possibilities. Despite the sour grapes feelings I have toward the two rogue teachers, the aggressive lunch ladies, and the office attendant in question, I actually had faith in Polk and faith in my children's future there. I am very disappointed in this school. So many teachers and counselors there are wonderful, dedicated people and it saddens me to think that the actions and deceit of a few may prove to be systemic in nature. So my children must go to a new school-hopefully a better school-to make a fresh start, leaving all their friends behind. Maybe this is not so very bad, but I'm still disappointed in Polk and cannot, in good conscience, recommend this school to the average family. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Polk Elementary

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 478 10 14 187 n/a n/a n/a 0 689
1989 502 11 21 205 3 n/a n/a 0 742
1990 535 8 29 238 1 n/a n/a 0 811
1991 571 9 31 284 0 n/a n/a 0 895
1992 645 10 25 316 0 n/a n/a 0 996
1993 526 4 28 234 0 n/a n/a 0 792
1994 463 2 22 205 0 n/a n/a 0 692
1995 511 5 28 272 0 n/a n/a 0 816
1996 511 5 28 272 0 n/a n/a 0 816
1997 483 2 33 272 2 n/a n/a 0 792
1998 389 7 38 280 3 n/a n/a 0 717
1999 357 10 49 317 5 n/a n/a 0 738
2000 342 15 32 320 5 n/a n/a 0 714
2001 330 13 28 335 4 n/a n/a 0 710
2002 295 15 46 429 3 n/a n/a 0 788
2003 295 15 46 429 3 n/a n/a 0 788
2004 298 15 42 428 2 n/a n/a 0 785
2005 271 14 42 437 3 n/a n/a 0 767
2006 255 12 38 444 2 n/a n/a 0 751
2007 237 10 42 446 2 n/a n/a 0 737
2008 222 13 33 441 0 n/a n/a 0 709
2009 201 7 28 473 0 n/a n/a 0 709
2010 160 8 24 412 1 n/a n/a 0 605
2011 121 7 26 424 0 2 7 0 587
2012 131 10 27 409 0 0 6 0 583
2013 115 6 21 415 0 1 7 0 565
2014 132 3 21 454 0 1 7 0 618
2015 123 5 18 465 0 0 15 0 626
2016 118 4 17 462 1 0 21 0 623
2017 121 7 21 486 0 0 20 0 655
2018 116 8 30 475 1 1 18 0 649
2019 110 9 38 527 2 1 13 0 700
2020 99 8 36 534 0 2 11 0 690
2021 67 9 33 509 0 1 8 0 627
2022 72 6 24 507 0 1 13 0 623
2023 73 6 27 510 0 0 11 0 627
2024 63 12 25 530 0 0 10 0 640

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Polk Elementary

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 689 38.0 18.1 n/a
1989 742 n/a n/a n/a
1990 811 41.0 19.7 n/a
1991 895 40.8 21.9 n/a
1992 996 47.6 20.9 5.1
1993 792 39.0 20.3 8.7
1994 692 35.7 19.4 4.5
1995 816 40.0 20.4 7.2
1996 816 40.0 20.4 7.2
1997 792 41.6 19.0 7.8
1998 717 41.0 17.5 7.7
1999 738 37.7 19.6 11.1
2000 714 37.3 19.1 13.6
2001 710 39.6 17.9 14.4
2002 788 43.3 18.2 16.8
2003 788 43.3 18.2 16.8
2004 785 48.2 16.3 19.4
2005 767 44.6 17.2 21.1
2006 751 45.1 16.7 24.1
2007 737 46.2 16.0 25.6
2008 709 43.9 16.2 23.3
2009 709 44.5 15.9 23.6
2010 605 36.6 16.5 28.6
2011 587 37.3 15.7 32.9
2012 583 36.5 15.9 34.8
2013 565 35.8 15.7 33.1
2014 618 36.1 17.0 34.1
2015 626 39.0 16.0 34.2
2016 623 38.0 16.3 32.7
2017 655 38.8 16.8 35.9
2018 649 39.9 16.2 37.8
2019 700 40.1 17.4 48.7
2020 690 40.9 16.8 50.6
2021 627 41.7 15.0 46.3
2022 623 40.3 15.4 44.3
2023 627 41.2 15.1 47.7
2024 640 40.8 15.6 48.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Polk Elementary

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 689 38.0 18.1 n/a
1989 742 n/a n/a n/a
1990 811 41.0 19.7 n/a
1991 895 40.8 21.9 n/a
1992 996 47.6 20.9 5.1
1993 792 39.0 20.3 8.7
1994 692 35.7 19.4 4.5
1995 816 40.0 20.4 7.2
1996 816 40.0 20.4 7.2
1997 792 41.6 19.0 7.8
1998 717 41.0 17.5 7.7
1999 738 37.7 19.6 11.1
2000 714 37.3 19.1 13.6
2001 710 39.6 17.9 14.4
2002 788 43.3 18.2 16.8
2003 788 43.3 18.2 16.8
2004 785 48.2 16.3 19.4
2005 767 44.6 17.2 21.1
2006 751 45.1 16.7 24.1
2007 737 46.2 16.0 25.6
2008 709 43.9 16.2 23.3
2009 709 44.5 15.9 23.6
2010 605 36.6 16.5 28.6
2011 587 37.3 15.7 32.9
2012 583 36.5 15.9 34.8
2013 565 35.8 15.7 33.1
2014 618 36.1 17.0 34.1
2015 626 39.0 16.0 34.2
2016 623 38.0 16.3 32.7
2017 655 38.8 16.8 35.9
2018 649 39.9 16.2 37.8
2019 700 40.1 17.4 48.7
2020 690 40.9 16.8 50.6
2021 627 41.7 15.0 46.3
2022 623 40.3 15.4 44.3
2023 627 41.2 15.1 47.7
2024 640 40.8 15.6 48.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Polk Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $851 (10.6%) $7,189 (89.4%) $8,040
2020 $1,669 (19.1%) $7,068 (80.9%) $8,737
2021 $2,197 (21.9%) $7,834 (78.1%) $10,031

Data source: Texas Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Polk Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 160th of 4479 Elementary schoolsRanks 906th of 4647 Elementary schools
 15.9%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Reading (Polk Elementary)7264
 8%
   3rd Grade Reading (El Paso Independent School District (Isd))4553
 8%
   3rd Grade Reading (Texas)4450
 6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Polk Elementary)6948
 21%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (El Paso Independent School District (Isd))4941
 8%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Texas)4843
 5%
4th Grade Reading (Polk Elementary)7661
 15%
   4th Grade Reading (El Paso Independent School District (Isd))4850
 2%
   4th Grade Reading (Texas)4347
 4%
4th Grade Mathematics (Polk Elementary)7044
 26%
   4th Grade Mathematics (El Paso Independent School District (Isd))4544
 1%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Texas)4647
 1%
4th Grade Reading (Polk Elementary)3329
 4%
   4th Grade Reading (El Paso Independent School District (Isd))3336
 3%
   4th Grade Reading (Texas)2931
 2%
5th Grade Reading (Polk Elementary)7382
 9%
   5th Grade Reading (El Paso Independent School District (Isd))5360
 7%
   5th Grade Reading (Texas)5156
 5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Polk Elementary)8760
 27%
   5th Grade Mathematics (El Paso Independent School District (Isd))6149
 12%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Texas)5650
 6%
5th Grade Science (Polk Elementary)8253
 29%
   5th Grade Science (El Paso Independent School District (Isd))4834
 14%
   5th Grade Science (Texas)4834
 14%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students700627
 10.4%
African American96
 33.3%
American Indian20
 100%
Asian3827
 28.9%
Hispanic527510
 3.2%
Pacific Islander10
 100%
White11073
 33.6%
Two or More Races1311
 15.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients48.7%47.7%
 1%


Schools Near Polk Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Polk Elementary

Polk Elementary ranks 862nd of 4675 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students who attend Polk Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Hornedo Middle
High : Franklin High School

Students at Polk Elementary are 83% Hispanic, 10% White, 4% Asian, 2% African American, 2% Two or more races.

In the 2023-24 school year, 640 students attended Polk Elementary.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Texas Education Agency.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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