Iltexas Houston Windmill Lakes El, Houston TX

Original Research by School Decision on Iltexas Houston Windmill Lakes El

ILTEXAS Houston Windmill Lakes Elementary is a charter school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in southeast Houston's Windmill Lakes neighborhood. It is one of a rapidly expanding network of campuses within International Leadership of Texas, a statewide charter system that has grown to serve students across multiple Texas metros. The school enrolls a substantial population, drawn heavily from families who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch and from the local Hispanic and Black communities.

The school's defining feature is its trilingual curriculum spanning English, Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese, combined with a leadership development program grounded in Marine Corps leadership principles. Students wear uniforms daily as part of this structured approach. For families seeking an alternative to traditional public school pedagogy and willing to commit to the charter's specific instructional model, this curriculum offers a clear, intentional pathway from early grades through the system's expanding K-12 structure.

Academic performance data shows the school faces significant challenges in foundational proficiency. On the most recent state assessments, overall proficiency in math and English language arts fell well below typical rates across the tested grades. In third grade, proficiency in math and English literacy testing in Spanish fell to low levels. By fifth grade, English language arts proficiency reached a somewhat higher level, though science proficiency remained very low. Across all tested subjects and grades combined, the school's proficiency index placed it in the bottom quartile when compared to other districts in Harris County. Parents considering this school should ask directly with the campus about the school's academic support plans, whether performance has shown movement over time, and what targeted instruction looks like for students who are not yet meeting grade-level standards.

The student population is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial Black student enrollment and small numbers of other racial and ethnic groups. Most students are economically disadvantaged. The school's tri-language instruction means instruction happens in English, Spanish, and Mandarin across the day, which creates a distinctive learning environment but also requires families to be comfortable with this instructional approach and pacing.

Houston itself is a sprawling, rapidly growing city shaped by the absence of traditional zoning, which allows residential, commercial, and industrial uses to coexist. The Windmill Lakes area sits in the southeastern part of the city. The broader Houston metro is adding residents quickly and has seen substantial housing construction. The median home value in the Windmill Lakes zip code sits below the Texas state benchmark, and rental costs remain moderate, making the area relatively accessible for families on modest incomes.

ILTexas has announced plans to build out high school campuses to create complete K-12 pathways for families whose children enroll in its K-8 campuses, meaning families starting at this elementary campus would eventually be able to continue in the system through graduation rather than transferring to another school for high school. This represents a shift from earlier years when students had to leave the charter system at the end of middle school.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 316%

School 16% · District 32% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

Grade 50%

School 0% · District 31% · ▼ 31 pts below district

▼ 41 pts below state median · ▼ 40 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 312%

School 12% · District 15% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 34 pts below state median · ▼ 30 pts below county median

Grade 40%

School 0% · District 37% · ▼ 37 pts below district

▼ 49 pts below state median · ▼ 48 pts below county median

Grade 527%

School 27% · District 26% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Science

Grade 53%

School 3% · District 11% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

This schoolINTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP OF TEXAS (ILTEXAS), same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 5Lower-income36%Higher-income53%17 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income0%Higher-income17%17 pp gap