The top reported proficiency rate is 60% in English language arts. The lowest is 45% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Kentwood El
Kentwood Elementary is a pre-kindergarten school serving students in Big Spring, a county-seat city in West Texas. The school enrolls a small cohort, nearly all of whom qualify for free or reduced-price meals, reflecting the economic profile of the families it serves. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller shares of white and Black students.
The school's only available assessment data comes from 2011-12 state testing (STAAR), covering third and fourth grades. Reading the data with the caveat that it is now well over a decade old and assessment changes have occurred since then: third-grade math proficiency was at a level below half of students meeting standards, while fourth-grade math was somewhat higher. In English language arts, third and fourth graders showed higher proficiency rates. These results positioned the school in the top quartile for overall proficiency among districts in Howard County when those metrics were last reported, though the age of the data limits what it tells a parent evaluating the school now.
State testing data for the current school year was not available in the research. Because Kentwood serves only pre-kindergarten, it does not administer state assessments at all; the 2011-12 results appear to reflect a time when the school may have served higher grades. A parent considering Kentwood should treat the school as serving only preschool-age students and seek current information directly from the school about curriculum, class structure, and developmental programming for that age group.
Big Spring itself is the county seat and largest city in Howard County, positioned at the convergence of Interstate 20 and U.S. Highway 87 in West Texas. The city has deep ties to oil and gas and railroads; an oil boom in the 1920s shaped its downtown. Today the economy is anchored by public institutions like Howard College and the VA hospital, the Big Spring refinery, and a growing logistics base. The city is car-dependent with no public transit; most daily errands and commutes stay short, and downtown Big Spring, anchored by the restored Hotel Settles, offers the most walkable street life. Civic life centers on parks including the state-run Big Spring State Park and Comanche Trail Park.
The city's population growth has been flat to declining; it peaked several decades ago and has since edged downward, with growth far slower than comparable Texas cities. Housing stock is mostly older; only a small portion of units were built recently, and new-home construction has been minimal. Home prices are well below the Texas average, making affordability relatively good for buyers, though the stagnant growth and aging housing base suggest limited market momentum. Rental costs are moderate as well.
In May 2024, Big Spring ISD voters rejected a bond package that would have funded a new high school to replace the aging existing facility. The defeated bond would have raised property taxes, and its defeat means families in the district avoid that tax increase but continue with older high school facilities. For a family considering the district, this represents an unresolved question about long-term school facility investment.
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