The top reported proficiency rate is 71% in Science. The lowest is 48% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Houston Elementary School
Houston Elementary School is listed as an inactive school, meaning it is no longer operating. For anyone researching this school, that is the first fact to know: it closed at some point after the most recent testing year on record. The school was a regular public elementary school within Gilbert Unified District, serving a grade band labeled “M through M,” though the precise meaning of that label is unclear from the available data. State test results from the 2020–21 school year and a single science assessment from 2018–19 offer the only academic snapshot, but those years pre-date the closure, so they reflect what was, not what is. No enrollment figures, demographic breakdowns, or student-support data exist in the record. A parent looking for a current school will need to look elsewhere in the district.
When Houston Elementary was active, its math proficiency rates across grades three through six clustered around the middle of the range for Arizona schools of that era. In the tested grades, roughly half of students met the state’s proficiency standard in math. English language arts results were available only for fifth and sixth grades, where a similar share of students were proficient. A 2018–19 science test for fourth graders showed a higher proficiency level, though that assessment used a different format and is now several years old. The school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades placed it above the midpoint among districts in Maricopa County, a useful positional marker for its time.
The building sat in Gilbert, a large, fast-growing suburb southeast of Phoenix. Gilbert has transformed from an agricultural town into a master-planned suburban community with single-family housing, strip commercial corridors, and a small historic downtown called the Heritage District. Housing prices in the area are high, reflecting the region’s demand and limited supply. The town’s growth has been rapid over recent decades, though recent development has slowed from its peak. Most residents rely on cars for transportation, and the street network is dominated by wide arterials and residential subdivisions.
Gilbert Unified District, which Houston Elementary was part of, has faced notable budget pressure in recent years. Voters rejected a maintenance and operations budget override in November 2023 for the third consecutive election, and also turned down a bond request for facility improvements and technology. The district has operated without an override since the mid-2010s, and it implemented budget reductions for the 2024–2025 school year, including eliminating teaching positions through attrition and cutting discretionary funding at school sites. These constraints have a direct impact on the remaining schools in the district, though they do not explain the closure of Houston Elementary, since the official reason for inactivation is not given in the data.
For a parent or resident looking into Houston Elementary specifically, the central takeaway is that the school is closed. The academic record from its active years suggests it was a solid performer relative to other district schools in the county, but that record is historic. Anyone seeking an elementary school in this part of Gilbert should explore the other schools in Gilbert Unified District, keeping in mind the district’s ongoing funding constraints and the broader context of a high-cost, car-dependent suburban community with strong population growth.
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