Skip to main content

Elementary schools · Dallas, Texas · Current comparison on NCES and state sources

Best Elementary Schools in Dallas, Texas

221 public elementary schools are compared here and the top 25 are ranked; Mary Mcleod Bethune EL leads, and Dallas ISD places 10 of the top ten, so the campus, not the district, is the thing to choose.

The fieldEvery ranked elementary school on the 1–10 scale.
Ranked schools run2.1Gateway Charter Academyto9.5Mary Mcleod Bethune ELon the one-to-ten scale.

221 ranked · top 25 from 9.0 to 9.5 · median 7.4

The brief

I'm choosing a school for

The top-rated elementary schools in Dallas are Mary Mcleod Bethune EL (9.5/10), Geneva Heights EL (9.4/10), and James Bowie EL (9.4/10), based on MySchoolScout's analysis of 221 elementary public schools meeting this ranking's coverage rules. Schools with estimated (proxy) scores are excluded from this ranking.

Dallas, Texas has 282 elementary school directory listings spanning 35 school districts. Of 282 elementary schools in Dallas, 224 are public schools with a comparable public-model composite score. This ranking includes 221 elementary public schools meeting this ranking's coverage rules. 62% of public schools included in this ranking are 7.0 or above on our 10-point scale. Dallas has a notable charter school presence, with 43 charter elementary schools (15% of all elementary schools) offering alternatives to traditional public schools. Among 221 elementary public schools included in this ranking and a reported student-teacher ratio, the average is 14.7:1. Our rankings identify Mary Mcleod Bethune EL as the top-rated elementary school in Dallas, followed by Geneva Heights EL and James Bowie EL. Schools with enough data are scored on student growth, poverty-adjusted academics, and school environment — plus college readiness for high schools — using data from the NCES and state education sources.

Ranked by composite score; the tick is the score on the 1–10 axis.

  1. 19.5
  2. 29.4
  3. 3
    James Bowie ELDallas ISD
    9.4
  4. 49.4
  5. 59.4
  6. 69.4
  7. 79.3
  8. 89.3
  9. 99.3
  10. 109.3
The ten highest-rated elementary schools in Dallas, best first.MySchoolScout composite scores. Current comparison on NCES and state sources.

All 221 ranked

Every ranked school on the axis, then the ledger.

Top 25 of 221

Rating · students · student-teacher ratio · grades
  1. 1Mary Mcleod Bethune ELDallas ISDrating 9.5students 538student-teacher ratio 14.5:1grades Pre-K–5th
  2. 2Geneva Heights ELDallas ISDrating 9.4students 299student-teacher ratio 11.1:1grades Pre-K–5th
  3. 3James Bowie ELDallas ISDrating 9.4students 317student-teacher ratio 10.2:1grades Pre-K–5th
  4. 4Obadiah Knight ELDallas ISDrating 9.4students 291student-teacher ratio 11.2:1grades Pre-K–5th
  5. 5Walnut Hill International Leadership AcademyDallas ISDrating 9.4students 492student-teacher ratio 13.7:1grades Pre-K–8th
  6. 6William Lipscomb ELDallas ISDrating 9.4students 410student-teacher ratio 11.7:1grades Pre-K–5th
  7. 7Buckner Terrace MontessoriDallas ISDrating 9.3students 316student-teacher ratio 10.2:1grades Pre-K–5th
  8. 8Louise Wolff Kahn ELDallas ISDrating 9.3students 536student-teacher ratio 15.3:1grades Pre-K–6th
  9. 9Personalized Learning Preparatory at Sam HoustonDallas ISDrating 9.3students 263student-teacher ratio 12.0:1grades Pre-K–5th
  10. 10Richard Lagow ELDallas ISDrating 9.3students 435student-teacher ratio 12.4:1grades Pre-K–5th
  11. 11San Jacinto ELDallas ISDrating 9.3students 429student-teacher ratio 13.0:1grades Pre-K–5th
  12. 12Bishop Arts Steam AcademyDallas ISDrating 9.2students 327student-teacher ratio 11.7:1grades Pre-K–5th
  13. 13C F Carr ELDallas ISDrating 9.2students 268student-teacher ratio 9.6:1grades Pre-K–6th
  14. 14Harry C Withers ELDallas ISDrating 9.2students 416student-teacher ratio 13.4:1grades Pre-K–5th
  15. 15Mark Twain School for the Talented and GiftedDallas ISDrating 9.2students 241student-teacher ratio 11.5:1grades Kindergarten–7th
  16. 16Merriman Park ELRichardson ISDrating 9.2students 514student-teacher ratio 13.9:1grades Pre-K–6th
  17. 17Solar Preparatory School for Girls at BonhamDallas ISDrating 9.2students 722student-teacher ratio 12.4:1grades Pre-K–8th
  18. 18Sylvia Mendez Crew Leadership AcademyDallas ISDrating 9.2students 443student-teacher ratio 12.3:1grades Pre-K–5th
  19. 19Tom C Gooch ELDallas ISDrating 9.2students 355student-teacher ratio 11.8:1grades Pre-K–5th
  20. 20Umphrey Lee ELDallas ISDrating 9.2students 431student-teacher ratio 13.5:1grades Pre-K–5th
  21. 21Gilbert Cuellar SR ELDallas ISDrating 9.1students 691student-teacher ratio 14.1:1grades Pre-K–5th
  22. 22Reinhardt ELDallas ISDrating 9.1students 429student-teacher ratio 13.4:1grades Pre-K–5th
  23. 23Clinton P Russell ELDallas ISDrating 9.0students 526student-teacher ratio 13.8:1grades Pre-K–5th
  24. 24Leila P Cowart ELDallas ISDrating 9.0students 515student-teacher ratio 12.9:1grades Pre-K–5th
  25. 25Nancy Moseley ELDallas ISDrating 9.0students 663student-teacher ratio 14.1:1grades Pre-K–5th

This list shows 25 of the 221 elementary public schools meeting this ranking's coverage rules in Dallas. Learn about our methodology.

The map

The top 25 pinned; open a pin for the campus.
The top 25 elementary schools in Dallas, pinned and colored by score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries.

Campus by campus

What each of the top ten reports.
  1. 1

    Mary Mcleod Bethune EL

    Dallas ISD

    538 students · 14.5:1 student-teacher ratio · grades Pre-K–5th

    Top 1% in Texas

    Academics
    9.4
    Growth
    9.8
    Environment
    8.8
  2. 2

    Geneva Heights EL

    Dallas ISD

    299 students · 11.1:1 student-teacher ratio · grades Pre-K–5th

    Top 1% in Texas

    Academics
    8.4
    Growth
    9.9
    Environment
    9.8
  3. 3

    James Bowie EL

    Dallas ISD

    317 students · 10.2:1 student-teacher ratio · grades Pre-K–5th

    Top 1% in Texas

    Academics
    9.2
    Growth
    9.5
    Environment
    9.3
  4. 4

    Obadiah Knight EL

    Dallas ISD

    291 students · 11.2:1 student-teacher ratio · grades Pre-K–5th

    Top 1% in Texas

    Academics
    9.1
    Growth
    9.5
    Environment
    9.6
  5. 5

    Walnut Hill International Leadership Academy

    Dallas ISD

    492 students · 13.7:1 student-teacher ratio · grades Pre-K–8th

    Top 1% in Texas

    Academics
    8.8
    Growth
    9.7
    Environment
    9.5
  6. 6

    William Lipscomb EL

    Dallas ISD

    410 students · 11.7:1 student-teacher ratio · grades Pre-K–5th

    Top 1% in Texas

    Academics
    8.6
    Growth
    9.9
    Environment
    9.5
  7. 7

    Buckner Terrace Montessori

    Dallas ISD

    316 students · 10.2:1 student-teacher ratio · grades Pre-K–5th

    Top 1% in Texas

    Academics
    8.4
    Growth
    9.8
    Environment
    9.4
  8. 8

    Louise Wolff Kahn EL

    Dallas ISD

    536 students · 15.3:1 student-teacher ratio · grades Pre-K–6th

    Top 1% in Texas

    Academics
    8.7
    Growth
    9.7
    Environment
    9.0
  9. 9

    Personalized Learning Preparatory at Sam Houston

    Dallas ISD

    263 students · 12.0:1 student-teacher ratio · grades Pre-K–5th

    Top 1% in Texas

    Academics
    8.8
    Growth
    9.5
    Environment
    9.5
  10. 10

    Richard Lagow EL

    Dallas ISD

    435 students · 12.4:1 student-teacher ratio · grades Pre-K–5th

    Top 1% in Texas

    Academics
    8.4
    Growth
    9.8
    Environment
    9.4

Questions

What is the best elementary school in Dallas, Texas?

In the current MySchoolScout comparison, Mary Mcleod Bethune EL is the top-rated elementary school in Dallas with a composite score of 9.5/10. The score blends student growth, poverty-adjusted academic performance, and school environment — plus college readiness for high schools — with equity shown as context, not scored.

How many elementary schools are in Dallas, Texas?

Dallas has 282 elementary schools, including 43 charter schools. 224 public schools have a comparable public-model composite score.

What is the average elementary school rating in Dallas?

Among 221 Dallas elementary public schools included in this ranking, the average is 7.1/10.

How does MySchoolScout rate elementary schools?

Schools with enough data receive a 1-10 composite score that blends Student Growth, Poverty-Adjusted Academic Achievement, and School Environment — plus College Readiness for high schools. Weights vary by school level, with growth counting most in elementary and middle grades. Equity data is shown for context but not scored. All scores are computed within Texas, so schools are compared to peers in the same state. Data comes from the NCES Common Core of Data and state education departments.

What is a good school rating on MySchoolScout?

A score of 7 or above means a school is in roughly the top 30% of its state. A 5 is average. Anything above 8 is exceptional. Our ratings are relative to other schools in Texas, not a national comparison, because each state has different testing standards.

Are charter schools included in the Dallas elementary school rankings?

Dallas has 43 charter elementary schools in its directory. Charter schools that meet this ranking's data requirements are included alongside traditional public schools using the same composite scoring methodology.

How should I use this ranking?

Consider your child's learning style. Some children thrive in smaller settings (look for student-teacher ratios under 14:1), while others do well in larger, more social environments. The schools on this list range widely in size and approach.

Look beyond the composite score. A school ranked #15 might be the best fit if it excels in growth (improving student outcomes year over year) even if its raw academic score is lower. Click into individual school profiles to see the breakdown.

Visit your top choices. Walk the hallways during a school day. Watch how teachers interact with students. Ask about before- and after-school care, transportation, and parent involvement. These details matter more than any dataset.

Keep reading

Explore more