The top reported proficiency rate is 60% in English language arts. The lowest is 43% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Umphrey Lee El
Umphrey Lee Elementary is a school serving pre-K through fifth grade in southern Dallas, in the 75232 zip code near Racine Drive. The enrollment is small to moderate for its grade band, distributed fairly evenly across the grades. The school's student body is predominantly Hispanic and Black, with very high rates of economic need; nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic profile of this neighborhood.
State assessment results from the most recent year show mixed performance by grade and subject. In English language arts, fourth graders performed strongest, while proficiency dips notably in third and fifth grades. Math shows a wide span: fourth graders achieved solid proficiency, third graders approached the midpoint, but fifth graders tested in Spanish showed substantially lower attainment. Science assessment data came only from fifth grade, also in Spanish, with proficiency near the middle. Across all subjects and grades reported, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among Dallas County districts, a strength worth noting, though proficiency rates within individual grades and subjects remain uneven.
The pattern of Spanish-language test results in fifth grade suggests the school serves a bilingual or Spanish-immersion cohort, which families with that interest should explore directly with the school. The lower proficiency in Spanish-assessed math and science, paired with stronger results in English-language tests, may reflect testing language, student composition, or instructional focus; a parent may want to look into this further with the school.
Dallas ISD, the parent district, has recently made substantial changes that affect the learning environment district-wide. In May 2026, voters approved a major bond that will replace aging school buildings, remove all portable classrooms, and upgrade safety and technology over the coming years. The district also shifted its advanced-course enrollment from opt-in to opt-out, automatically placing high-performing students into college-prep tracks in math, reading, science, and social studies, which broadened access to advanced coursework across the district. Additionally, the district adopted a new math curriculum and reduced reliance on standardized test prep by eliminating its internal ACP tests, so classroom time focuses less on teaching to the test.
The neighborhood around Umphrey Lee is part of southern Dallas, an area experiencing significant new development. University Hills, a large mixed-use development near the UNT Dallas campus, is underway with hundreds of new homes, apartments, and green space, signaling neighborhood change and growing housing options. The broader Dallas housing market has seen a modest decline in values from a year prior, and median home prices in the school's zip code sit below both state and national benchmarks, making this a relatively affordable area of the city.
This is a school that serves a community with substantial economic challenges and linguistic diversity. Its position in the top quartile for overall proficiency suggests the school is supporting student learning in meaningful ways, though the variation in results across grades and subjects suggests families should understand the specific instructional approach and resource allocation relevant to their child's grade and language background.
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