The top reported proficiency rate is 48% in Math. The lowest is 47% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Dekalb El
DeKalb Elementary serves pre-kindergarten through fourth grade in a small rural school with enrollment of about that size for its district and grade band. The school sits in De Kalb, a declining small town in western Bowie County in the Texarkana region, where the local economy centers on healthcare and manufacturing and most residents rent their homes. The town has a compact downtown with shops and restaurants but limited civic anchors beyond the park and local stadium.
The school's student population carries substantial economic need. A large share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is majority white, with meaningful representation of Black and Hispanic students and a smaller multiracial population. Data on special education and English learner enrollment was not available.
In the most recent state testing data, the school shows lower performance overall. In third grade math, less than half of tested students reached proficiency; fourth grade math performance was slightly better but still below midpoint. In ELA, third grade sat near the midline for proficiency, but fourth grade ELA results are not reported separately because almost all fourth graders tested were assessed in Spanish, a cohort too small to report. Across all tested grades and subjects combined, the school shows that just over half of students met or exceeded grade-level standards, with the largest group reaching the "approaches" level, meaning they are working toward, rather than meeting, standards.
Relative to districts in Bowie County, DeKalb Elementary's overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint among its county peers. A parent may want to ask the school directly about the gap between third and fourth grade math, whether there are targeted interventions in place, and how the ELA curriculum is structured given the language composition of the cohort.
The district recently moved to a four-day school week starting in fall, meaning students are off on Fridays and the remaining days run longer, with dismissal near 4 p.m. This was a deliberate shift to address staff burnout, and early reports noted improved attendance and behavior. For a working family, this reshapes childcare needs and afterschool time, a practical change worth factoring into your arrangement.
The school does not appear to offer specialized programs beyond regular classroom instruction. No data on attendance, discipline, or staffing depth was available. State testing results are the main measure of academic performance on record; a parent may want to visit, ask about classroom practices, and understand the school's approach to building foundational skills in early grades where growth is still forming.
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