The top reported proficiency rate is 45% in English language arts. The lowest is 25% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Willow Bend El
Willow Bend Elementary is a neighborhood school in Lubbock serving roughly one-third of a typical elementary school's enrollment across kindergarten through fifth grade, with a student body that is substantially Hispanic and more than half qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The school sits on the east side of Lubbock, a moderately growing city anchored by Texas Tech University, healthcare, and agriculture. The surrounding area is largely car-dependent residential and suburban in character.
State testing data from the most recent school year show mixed results across subjects and grades. In reading, the school's results vary notably by grade: third grade sits well below expectations at about a one-in-eight proficiency rate, fourth grade is stronger at roughly two-thirds proficiency, and fifth grade lands at about three-fifths. Math is a softer area overall. Third grade is at about one-in-three proficiency, fourth grade is lower still at one-in-four, and fifth grade math data comes from a very small tested cohort and is not reported. Science, tested only in fifth grade, sits at about one-in-four proficiency. Looking at the full school across all tested subjects and grades combined, roughly one-third of students are meeting state proficiency standards overall, which places the school below the midpoint among other districts in Lubbock County.
The reading-to-math gap and the wide grade-level variation within subjects suggest a school working through uneven challenges rather than applying a district-wide approach that has taken hold everywhere. A parent may want to look into further with the school what strategies are in place to address the math proficiency gaps, particularly in third and fourth grade where the data show weakness.
The school is part of Frenship Independent School District, which encompasses an area experiencing steady, moderate growth. In November 2024, voters approved a property-tax-rate adjustment and a bond package that included funding for two new elementary schools to address that enrollment growth, plus teacher and staff salary increases. The district also opened a second comprehensive high school in August 2025, signaling sustained expansion. For families considering the area, this growth is creating new capacity but also means ongoing construction activity and boundary shifts; the opening of that high school has already triggered new attendance zones. The district's current tax rate is publicly reported as below recent historical levels, though appraised-value increases can still raise household bills.
Housing in the Lubbock area around the school's ZIP code is modestly valued compared to national benchmarks, with rents also modest relative to national levels. The affordability calculation suggests that monthly rent is approximately one-fifth of median household income, making housing relatively accessible compared to many other markets, though mortgages with standard down payments run several hundred dollars monthly.
Willow Bend is a regular public school with no special magnet or charter designation. The school enrolls students from its neighborhood rather than through a selective admissions process. It carries no distinctive program offerings in the data available. Families choosing this school are largely choosing the school their address assigns them to within Frenship ISD's neighborhood-school model. The school's uneven test performance means that fit depends on what support structures exist within Willow Bend or the district for students who are not yet proficient, and a conversation with the principal about how the school targets students in lower-performing grades would help a parent understand what to expect and how the school is working to improve.
See more original research from School Decision →