The top reported proficiency rate is 58% in English language arts. The lowest is 39% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Ben Bolt-palito Blanco El
Ben Bolt-Palito Blanco Elementary serves the early grades from pre-K through sixth grade in Alice, in Jim Wells County in South Texas. It is a small campus with about a small-school-population of enrollees spread across the primary and intermediate years. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, and a substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating economic need across the enrollment.
The school's academic results show a mixed profile. In English language arts across third through sixth grade, performance is stronger at the upper end: fifth and sixth graders show solid proficiency, while third and fourth graders trail. In mathematics, the pattern is notably uneven. Third and fourth graders as well as sixth graders show proficiency rates below the midpoint, whereas fifth graders perform substantially higher. Science testing, available only for fifth grade, shows proficiency below the midpoint. When proficiency is measured by Texas's achievement levels (approaches, meets, masters), the school shows that a majority of students reach at least the "approaches" level in English language arts and mathematics, but mastery remains limited across subjects.
Relative to other districts in Jim Wells County, Ben Bolt-Palito Blanco Elementary ranks in the top quartile on overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades. This positioning reflects strength in a peer group of rural South Texas districts, though the school's grade-level variability and subject-specific gaps merit close attention. Parents may want to look further with the school into why performance dips in certain grades, particularly the lower achievement in fourth grade mathematics and the science results, and what interventions or instruction focus the school is employing in those areas.
The school sits within Ben Bolt-Palito Blanco Independent School District, a small rural district that recently passed a substantial building bond approved by voters in May 2024. Construction began in August 2025 on eight new elementary classrooms and building renovations, with completion expected by early 2026. This investment signals the district's commitment to facility improvement for a district of its size, and the modest property-tax rate used to fund it is relevant to families considering the area.
Alice, the broader community, is a small South Texas city that functions as a regional retail and trade hub. It has a relaxed, small-town character centered on highway-oriented commerce along Texas 44 and Main Street, with a walkable historic downtown where the civic core and the public library are located. The economy is heavily tied to oil and gas, as the region lies near the Eagle Ford Shale, though education, healthcare, cattle ranching, and agribusiness also anchor local employment. The housing market offers modest values; homes are largely established ranch-style properties, some needing repair. The city has pursued recent reinvestment, including new senior housing complexes and modest retail additions, and population has declined slowly over decades, though development discussions show continued interest in growth.
Alice ISD schools are distributed across the city rather than concentrated downtown. The elementary campuses, including Ben Bolt-Palito Blanco Elementary, are at separate addresses. For families considering the school, the small enrollment, the recent bond-funded facility expansion, and the rural South Texas setting form the core context. State testing results are available and show strength in upper intermediate grades paired with weaker results in lower grades and science, positioning the school competitively within its county peer group but also indicating areas where academic support may matter.
See more original research from School Decision →