Park Hills El, Amarillo TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Park Hills El

Park Hills Elementary is a small public school in Amarillo serving grades pre-K through fifth, with an enrollment of about two hundred students. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial Black enrollment and smaller white and Asian populations. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a high-poverty community.

The school's academic results are a significant concern. On the most recent state assessments, the proportion of students meeting or exceeding proficiency standards falls well below the midpoint among Potter County districts across tested subjects. In math, grade-three proficiency sits in the low range, with fourth grade notably lower and fifth grade somewhat higher. English language arts shows a similar pattern: third grade and fourth grade (tested in Spanish) are weak, while fifth grade registers higher, though still modest. Science proficiency in fifth grade is particularly low. These figures suggest that students are not acquiring foundational skills at the pace the state expects, and a parent may want to discuss with the school what targeted support is available, especially in the lower grades where weak early skills can compound.

The school does report broad proficiency data across all subjects, showing that a clear majority of students reach the "approaches" level (the lowest proficiency tier), meaning they demonstrate some understanding but have not yet met grade-level standards. Only a small fraction achieve "master" level, indicating that advanced learners are few. The pattern reflects a school where instruction is reaching most students at a basic level but where depth and acceleration for higher-performing children appear limited.

Amarillo itself is growing steadily, driven by strong net in-migration and a diversified economy anchored in healthcare, defense, food processing, and energy. The city has undertaken downtown revitalization and is investing in neighborhoods and infrastructure, though growth has concentrated on the south and southwest sides in Randall County. The immediate area around Park Hills, in the older east side, is less characterized by new development.

The housing market in the school's zip code is affordable by state and national benchmarks, with home values and rents below Texas and U.S. medians. This affordability likely reflects the neighborhood's condition and the student poverty data reported here. A family choosing this school would be enrolling in a small, neighborhood elementary serving a deeply disadvantaged population with test results that suggest students need stronger academic support to meet state grade-level benchmarks.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 339%

School 39% · District 18% · ▲ 21 pts above district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 430%

School 30% · District 20% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 544%

School 44% · District 51% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 328%

School 28% · District 50% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 423%

School 23% · District 45% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

Grade 546%

School 46% · District 38% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Science

Grade 522%

School 22% · District 31% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

This schoolAMARILLO ISD, 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.