The top reported proficiency rate is 35% in English language arts. The lowest is 17% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Dishman El
Dishman Elementary sits on Champions Drive in Beaumont, Texas, serving prekindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school within Beaumont ISD. The school is mid-sized for its grade band, and a very large share of its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, making it one of the more economically challenged campuses in the district. The student body is majority Black, with a substantial Hispanic population and smaller shares of white, Asian, and multiracial students. Data on English learners and students with IEPs was not available in what we reviewed.
Academic performance on the Texas STAAR assessments, which test grades three through five, is a genuine concern here. Across reading and language arts, scores improve as students move up through the grades, with fifth grade showing notably stronger results than third or fourth, but even the strongest grade lands well below where a family might hope. Math proficiency is low across all three tested grades, and science results for fifth grade are similarly low. Looking at the Texas performance framework, which breaks scores into "approaches," "meets," and "masters" grade level, the picture is that a majority of students are at least approaching grade level in reading, but far fewer are meeting it, and a very small share are mastering the material. In math, fewer than half are even approaching grade level. Overall, Dishman's proficiency index falls well below the midpoint among districts in Jefferson County, based on comparisons within that set. Parents who want to understand these results more deeply, or ask how the school is working to improve them, would be well served to raise those questions directly with campus leadership.
That question has additional weight given the district context. The Texas Education Agency took over Beaumont ISD in spring 2026, publicly reported as the result of five consecutive years of failing academic ratings at specific campuses. A state-appointed Board of Managers replaced the elected trustees, and the district is now under state control with specific exit criteria around reading and math proficiency before local governance returns. This is a live and consequential governance shift for any family enrolling in a Beaumont ISD campus. On the instructional side, the district publicly reported rolling out the state's Bluebonnet Learning math curriculum across all campuses starting fall 2025, a change that directly affects how students at Dishman are taught math this year. Whether that translates into improved outcomes remains to be seen, since only a single year of data was available and trend comparisons could not be computed.
Beaumont itself is a mid-sized Gulf Coast city built around the petrochemical industry, with ExxonMobil's large refinery complex as the dominant private employer. The broader economy includes healthcare, manufacturing, and Lamar University, which anchors the south side of the city. The housing market near the school is considerably more affordable than both the Texas state median and the national median, with home values and rents that are meaningfully lower than statewide averages. Year-over-year appreciation has been modest and positive. Rental costs are relatively low as well, and the rent-to-income ratio in this market is well below what renters in many Texas metros face. For families weighing cost of living, Beaumont offers accessible entry points.
The city has been working on a growth agenda, publicly reported as targeting a significant population increase by 2030 through new housing, infrastructure investment, and economic development incentives. A new comprehensive plan launched in late 2025. Several new housing developments are in progress, including both affordable units and a proposed market-rate subdivision in northwest Beaumont. Those changes are gradual, and the city also faces financial pressure with expenses outpacing revenue, a tension that shapes the environment Beaumont ISD operates within.
Program offerings at Dishman were not available in the data we reviewed, so we cannot speak to enrichment, pull-out programs, or extracurricular activities at the campus level. Chronic absenteeism and discipline data were also not reported, leaving gaps a parent would reasonably want to fill by visiting the school or speaking with the principal.
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