Gus Birdwell EL

Gus Birdwell Elementary serves 356 students in Spearman, Texas, from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The school earns a composite score of 9.0 out of 10 — rated Exceptional — with academic performance at 8.6 and a growth score of 9.1. That growth figure is the standout: it tells parents that students here are gaining more ground each year than peers at nearly every other campus in the state.

The rankings back that up. Gus Birdwell places 109th out of 4,678 elementary schools in Texas and outperforms 98% of all Texas public schools. For a school in a small Panhandle town, that result demands attention.

It also ranks second among Spearman's three schools, placing it clearly at the top of the local options. At 11.1 students per teacher, class sizes stay small enough for teachers to track each student closely. That ratio, combined with the strong growth score, suggests instruction here reaches kids individually rather than just moving the class average.

The academic and growth scores working together point to a school where students arrive, gain ground fast, and sustain it — the kind of trajectory that matters most when choosing an elementary foundation.

Located in a rural area, Gus Birdwell EL may involve longer commutes for some families. Rural schools often serve as community anchors and may have smaller class sizes, but parents should consider transportation logistics, after-school program availability, and access to specialized services.