The top reported proficiency rate is 20% in English language arts. The lowest is 7% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on John and Polly Townley El
John and Polly Townley Elementary serves students in grades one through five in Everman, a small incorporated city adjacent to Fort Worth in Tarrant County. The school enrolls a small student body, with roughly similar-sized classes across the grade band. The student population is predominantly Black, with a substantial Hispanic enrollment and smaller numbers of other racial and ethnic groups. An overwhelming share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of economic hardship in the school's immediate community.
The school's academic profile shows considerable challenge. In math, where the school administered state testing in grades four and five, proficiency rates are very low. In English language arts, results are similarly weak across the grades tested in English. Science proficiency in grade five is especially low. The school did administer some Spanish-language assessments at lower grades, though sample sizes were very small. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile among districts in Tarrant County, well below the county median.
State data breaks down proficiency into performance levels. Across all subjects, fewer than one in ten students achieved the highest level (master), just over one in four met the standard, and about three in five approached it. Reading offers a somewhat brighter picture: a majority of students approached proficiency, though only a small share mastered it. Math and science performance was substantially weaker at all levels. The school has reported only the most recent year of testing data, so trends over time are not available.
Townley Elementary sits within Everman ISD, which has undertaken significant recent changes. The district won voter approval for a major bond package in 2024 to renovate and expand four elementary schools, including Townley, alongside a multipurpose facility at the high school. This was the district's first bond in several years and signals a material commitment to facilities improvement. The bond also resulted in a property-tax-rate increase that families buying into the area would carry going forward. Looking ahead, Everman ISD has launched dual-credit pathways, including a new partnership with Texas Wesleyan University allowing high school students to earn college credits, and an early-college program with Tarrant County College that lets students earn significant college-credit equivalent hours at no cost. These are district-level offerings that extend to the high school and beyond Townley's elementary grades but reflect broader district strategy.
Everman itself is a small suburb within the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, though detailed public reporting on its residential character, walkability, or specific major employers was not available. The local housing market shows modest home values below the state benchmark, with rental rates that reflect affordability comparable to the national standard. A parent considering Townley would be choosing an elementary school in a high-poverty community with very low current test results, in a district actively investing in physical infrastructure and college-access programming, within a small suburban setting. The school's academic performance would warrant close conversation with school leaders about instruction, supports, and the school's own improvement plans.
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