Gladys Polk El, Richwood TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Gladys Polk El

Gladys Polk Elementary is a small public school serving pre-kindergarten through fourth grade in Richwood, a quiet residential suburb in Brazoria County. The school sits in a car-dependent, family-oriented area with high homeownership and abundant parks but few commercial anchors. Its enrollment is small, drawing from a community where most families own their homes and stay put for years.

The academic results here are mixed. In math, proficiency runs modestly strong, with about three-quarters of students meeting grade-level standards in grades three and four. Reading (ELA) shows a weaker picture, with only about three-fifths of third-graders meeting standards and roughly three-quarters of fourth-graders doing so. The school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile of Brazoria County's elementary schools, which means it outperforms most comparable schools in the county, but that comparison reflects the particular strength of math and the ceiling of what early-elementary testing captures. The range across the school is fairly wide; while many students are on track, the data suggest a meaningful tail of students not yet meeting grade-level benchmarks, particularly in reading at the third-grade level.

About three-fifths of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a moderate share of economically vulnerable families. The school's enrollment is ethnically diverse, with roughly equal shares of Hispanic and white students, along with smaller populations of Black, Asian, and multiracial students. Data on special education enrollment and English learner status were not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those support services and their strength.

Richwood itself is stable but flat in population, with active residential construction in the area. Housing costs are below state and national averages, making the neighborhood accessible for families buying or renting. The area is part of the larger Brazosport region; students who advance past fourth grade attend elementary and middle schools in neighboring communities before feeding into Brazoswood High School in Clute.

One important caveat: Brazosport ISD has entered a period of significant change. Facing declining enrollment district-wide and a multimillion-dollar budget gap, the district voted in April 2026 to close several schools. While Gladys Polk was not named for closure, this broader reshaping reflects fiscal and enrollment pressures that could affect staffing, programming, or future consolidation plans. The district's failed bond election in May 2025 left facility and technology needs unfunded, adding to the backdrop of constraint. Families new to the area or already here should stay engaged with the district to understand how these changes may ripple downstream, especially once students leave elementary school.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 378%

School 78% · District 55% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▲ 38 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 474%

School 74% · District 51% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 361%

School 61% · District 14% · ▲ 47 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 474%

School 74% · District 29% · ▲ 45 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

This schoolBRAZOSPORT 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income54%Higher-income76%22 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income65%Higher-income86%21 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income78%Higher-income76%2 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income62%Higher-income90%28 pp gap