The reported proficiency rate for English language arts is 16%.
Original Research by School Decision on James R Bilhartz Jr El
James R. Bilhartz Jr. Elementary is a small elementary school in Duncanville, Texas serving prekindergarten through fourth grade. The school draws students from a neighborhood where most families qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the enrollment is predominantly Hispanic with a substantial share of Black students as well.
The school's state test data shows meaningful academic challenge. Among students tested in English language arts in third grade, about a quarter met proficiency; in fourth grade, proficiency dropped sharply to just a handful of students. Math results are similarly low, with students across the grade band showing proficiency rates well below the midpoint among Dallas County districts. The school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile across the county. These numbers signal that students are arriving below grade level and that closing that gap is a primary work.
The data offer a limited window into the school's instructional profile. Texas assessment results visible in the school's data come from Spanish-language tests, which hints that the school serves a substantial population of students learning English, though specific enrollment counts for English learners were not available. The very small number of students tested in Spanish across some grade levels also suggests this may be a subset of the school's population. Without access to school-level information on staffing, class size, intervention programs, or school choice status, it is difficult to characterize the instructional approach or support intensity the school can offer.
Housing in the Duncanville area is affordable relative to Dallas overall and to the Texas state median. The neighborhood around the school sits in a context of strong regional growth. Dallas and its suburbs are among the fastest-growing metro areas in the nation, and Duncanville and neighboring districts are part of that expansion. In November 2023, Duncanville ISD voters approved a substantial bond package, the district's first in several years, funding facility renovations, career and technical education expansion at the high school, and an early childhood center. This infrastructure investment signals the district's commitment to building out services and facilities to serve growth.
For a parent considering this school, the critical question is whether the instructional supports align with students' learning needs. The test results indicate students are working from behind grade level, which is a starting point for understanding what the school offers in reading and math intervention, how it approaches literacy and numeracy in the early grades, and what the path forward looks like by the time students exit the elementary and move on. A parent may want to look into this further with the school and the district directly.
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