South Hi Mount El, Fort Worth TX

Original Research by School Decision on South Hi Mount El

South Hi Mount Elementary is a public school in Fort Worth serving children in preK through fifth grade. The school is small to mid-sized for its grade band, with balanced enrollment across early and upper elementary. Roughly three-quarters of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is predominantly Hispanic, with Black, white, and Asian students also present.

Reading and language arts is a relative strength. On state assessments, proficiency in reading rises across grade levels, with third graders at a lower proficiency baseline but fourth and fifth graders showing stronger performance. Writing and other language skills follow a similar pattern, with upper elementary showing more substantial gains. Math proficiency is lower and remains relatively flat across grades, particularly in third grade where it sits substantially below reading performance in the same cohort. Science testing is reported only for fifth grade, but the sample size was too small to yield reliable results.

Looking across all subjects and all grades together, the school's overall proficiency index sits above the midpoint among Tarrant County districts, which means it is performing better than roughly half the districts in its region. The strength in reading outweighs the weaker math results when combined.

Fort Worth itself is one of the nation's fastest-growing cities, shaped by a blend of historic and contemporary identity. The city centers on several distinct areas: downtown with Sundance Square and mixed-use development, the Stockyards as a national historic district tied to Western heritage, and the Cultural District anchoring major museums. Neighborhoods vary widely in walkability and character. The school sits on Birchman Avenue in a mid-city residential area; the character of the immediate neighborhood and proximity to amenities would warrant visiting to assess fit for your family.

The region's housing market has shifted with rapid growth. Rents have risen and home values are in the mid-range for Texas, with rent costs now a larger share of household income than was historically typical in Fort Worth. The area has both older established neighborhoods and newer subdivisions, especially on the city's western and northwestern edges.

South Hi Mount's reading performance, especially in upper grades, is a concrete strength that reflects solid instructional work. The math gap is real and a parent may want to discuss with the school what support exists for students working below grade level in numeracy and what pathways or interventions are in place. The school's position above the county median suggests it is functioning reasonably well within its district and region. Visiting, talking with current families, and understanding the specific peer group and classroom match would be important next steps.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 329%

School 29% · District 14% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 441%

School 41% · District 8% · ▲ 33 pts above district

even with state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 343%

School 43% · District 16% · ▲ 27 pts above district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 461%

School 61% · District 41% · ▲ 20 pts above district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 563%

School 63% · District 46% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

This schoolFORT WORTH 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 4Lower-income52%Higher-income85%33 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income62%Higher-income69%7 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income30%Higher-income70%40 pp gap