The top reported proficiency rate is 44% in English language arts. The lowest is 10% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Paloma Creek El
Paloma Creek Elementary sits on Navo Road in Aubrey, a fast-growing corner of northeastern Denton County where large master-planned subdivisions have transformed what was once horse-ranch country into one of the Dallas-Fort Worth metro's busiest residential growth zones. The school serves prekindergarten through fifth grade as part of Denton ISD, and its enrollment is substantial for an elementary campus. A majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is racially and ethnically diverse, with Black students forming the largest share, followed by white and Hispanic students, with a meaningful Asian population and students of two or more races as well. English learner and special education rates were not available in the data.
The academic picture, measured by the Texas STAAR assessment, is one that parents should look at carefully. Across third, fourth, and fifth grade in both reading and math, fewer than half of tested students reached the proficient-or-above threshold in any grade, and math proficiency was lower than reading at every level. Fifth-grade science proficiency was especially low. When placed against other districts in Denton County, Paloma Creek's overall proficiency index falls in the bottom quartile of that comparison set. Trend data goes back only a single year in this data, so it is not possible to say whether scores are improving, holding steady, or declining. A parent wanting to understand the school's trajectory would be well served by asking the school directly about growth data and any targeted academic supports.
The most consequential piece of information for any family currently zoned to Paloma Creek is publicly reported and straightforward: Denton ISD has announced it is repurposing the campus after it did not meet Texas Education Agency standards for multiple consecutive years. Students enrolled for the 2025-26 school year are expected to be rezoned to nearby elementary schools for the 2026-27 year as part of the district's Building Forward initiative. For a family choosing housing or making an enrollment decision right now, this means Paloma Creek as it currently operates is unlikely to continue in its present form, and the relevant question shifts to which receiving campuses students will be assigned to and how those schools perform.
Denton ISD itself is in a period of active change. Voters approved a large bond package in recent years, the largest capital plan in district history, funding new campuses, a fifth high school, an advanced technology center, and safety and facility upgrades across the district, with an explicit focus on eastern Denton ISD where growth has been most intense. A more recent voter-approved tax rate increase reversed several years of rate reductions and will generate ongoing revenue for teacher salaries, safety, and programs, though it does raise what homeowners pay. The district is also relaunching a full K-12 virtual learning option beginning in fall 2026 after a previous online program was discontinued, giving families an additional enrollment pathway.
Aubrey itself is a town where the residential boom is still accelerating. Multiple master-planned communities are under construction or planned, national homebuilders are active, and retail and commercial development is following. Home values in the zip code are above the Texas statewide benchmark, though they have pulled back modestly from recent highs, and rents have also eased slightly. The housing market is meaningfully more affordable than the national median, which partly explains the pace of in-migration. The historic downtown on Main Street offers a compact civic core with a city park and local businesses, but daily life outside that stretch is auto-dependent. The Aubrey Area Library serves residents, and regional transit through the Denton County Transportation Authority connects to the broader metro, though direct in-town service in Aubrey has not been confirmed.
For families with children currently zoned to Paloma Creek, the immediate priority is getting clarity from Denton ISD about the rezoning plan, specifically which campuses will receive students and what the transition timeline looks like. The academic data from the current campus, the TEA standards history, and the district's own decision to repurpose it together point to a school in transition rather than one to evaluate on its own merits going forward.
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