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Public elementary school · Lamar CISD · Richmond, Texas

Don Carter EL

Don Carter EL rates 7.7, above the middle of Lamar CISD's elementary schools: the district's rated median is 7.0 and the Houston-area median is 7.0.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
7.7this school

7.7 on a one-to-ten scale; the Lamar CISD median is 7.0; the Houston area median is 7.0.

#1,733 of 8,584 schools in Texas · Lamar CISD: 29 elementary schools rated, median 7.0 · Houston area: 940 elementary schools rated, median 7.0

The brief

I'm choosing a school for

A Lamar CISD elementary school where students score 16 points above what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 1,733 of 8,584 schools in Texas and 9 of 44 in Lamar CISD.

Don Carter EL is listed in Lamar CISD, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math76%31 points above the Texas average of 45%352 students tested · 2025 STAAR
Reading76%21 points above the Texas average of 55%352 students tested · 2025 STAAR
Proficiency declined earlier in the 8-year record (2018–2025), then recovered 14 points since 2021, reaching 76% in 2025.2025 STAAR; 14 test records from TX state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
8.0
50% of the rating
Academics
9.5
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
4.4
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2025

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 70% (multi-year average, 2018-2025) · reading/ELA 67% (multi-year average, 2018-2025).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 STAAR · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 STAAR · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 77469; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2018-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Don Carter EL and the 20 nearest elementary schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$101,546
Median home value
$315,000
Median rent
$1,675/mo
College educated
40.4%
Homeownership
81.2%
Poverty rate
6.3%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 77469; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
3
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
25
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
1,380/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Richmond. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Richmond), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
38.8%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. Smith EL4.4 mi
    8.4Compare →
  2. 8.2Compare →
  3. 7.9Compare →
  4. Phelan EL3.9 mi
    7.8Compare →
  5. Don Carter ELthis school
    7.7
  6. 7.0Compare →
  7. 6.8Compare →
  8. 5.9Compare →
  9. 5.7Compare →
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and four rate higher than Don Carter EL.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Don Carter EL serve?

Don Carter EL serves students in grades Pre-K through 5th.

How many students attend Don Carter EL?

Don Carter EL has an enrollment of approximately 998 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Don Carter EL?

The student-teacher ratio at Don Carter EL is 17.8:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Don Carter EL rank in TX?

Don Carter EL ranks #1,733 of 8,584 schools in TX.

What is Don Carter EL's MySchoolScout rating?

Don Carter EL has a current MySchoolScout rating of 7.7 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Don Carter EL?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Don Carter EL has 70% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2018-2025) and 67% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2018-2025).

Is Don Carter EL a charter school?

No, Don Carter EL is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Don Carter EL a Title I school?

No, Don Carter EL is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Don Carter EL?

38.8% of students at Don Carter EL qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
Pre-K – 5th
Enrollment
998
Student-teacher ratio
17.8:1
Teachers (FTE)
56
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Fort Bend County
Rank in district
#9 of 44
Schools in district
47
District spending per student
$10,664
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
9.1%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 77469)
65,159
Area average commute
29.6 min
Area median age
35

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Texas Education Agency, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.