Whitney M Young Jr El, Dallas TX

Original Research by School Decision on Whitney M Young Jr El

Whitney M. Young Jr. Elementary is a small pre-K through fifth-grade school in south Dallas that serves a community with substantial economic need. Just over half the enrollment is Hispanic and roughly two-fifths are Black. A very high share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating families with limited income.

The school's academic performance shows areas of concern that parents should examine closely. Across tested grades and subjects, proficiency rates are well below the midpoint for Dallas County schools. In math, third graders show particularly low proficiency, while fourth-grade math performance is somewhat stronger. Fifth-grade English results stand out as the school's clearest strength, with proficiency notably above the performance in other tested areas. Science proficiency at fifth grade is very low. Overall, state test results suggest that students are working at skill levels below grade-level standards in most tested areas, and a parent may want to speak directly with the school about how these results are being addressed and what intervention supports the school has in place.

The school is one of Dallas ISD's smallest, with roughly a couple hundred more students across seven grades than many other elementary schools in the district. This can mean closer relationships between families and staff, though it may also limit the range of specialized programs or electives available on campus.

Dallas ISD has made district-wide changes that affect all schools, including Whitney Young. In May of 2026, voters approved a historic bond that will replace aging school buildings and eliminate portable classrooms; Whitney Young families will benefit if the school is among those earmarked for renewal. The district also shifted to an opt-out model for advanced coursework, automatically enrolling students who score well on state exams into advanced classes in math, reading, science, and social studies, which means more students here will have access to college-prep pathways if they qualify. Additionally, the district adopted a new math curriculum and reduced emphasis on test prep, shifting classroom time away from teaching to specific assessments.

The neighborhood itself sits in south Dallas, an area that is experiencing significant development. A large mixed-use project called University Hills is breaking ground nearby near the UNT Dallas campus, bringing hundreds of new homes and apartments. Housing values and rents in the 75216 zip code are modest, and the area remains affordable compared to other Dallas neighborhoods, though costs are rising. This may make the neighborhood accessible to families seeking lower housing expenses while remaining in a major job center with major employers like Amazon, Methodist Hospitals, and Frito-Lay/PepsiCo nearby.

Parents choosing Whitney Young should understand that the school serves a high-poverty community with recent testing results that point to significant academic challenges. The school's small size and location in a redeveloping area may appeal to some families, but the mismatch between current proficiency rates and grade-level standards is substantial and merits a conversation with school leadership about what support systems and improvement efforts are in place.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 316%

School 16% · District 19% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 447%

School 47% · District 21% · ▲ 26 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Grade 527%

School 27% · District 46% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 38%

School 8% · District 50% · ▼ 42 pts below district

▼ 38 pts below state median · ▼ 29 pts below county median

Grade 417%

School 17% · District 52% · ▼ 35 pts below district

▼ 32 pts below state median · ▼ 29 pts below county median

Grade 555%

School 55% · District 58% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Science

Grade 54%

School 4% · District 13% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

This schoolDALLAS 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.