James Bowie Fine Arts Academy, Grand Prairie TX

Original Research by School Decision on James Bowie Fine Arts Academy

James Bowie Fine Arts Academy is a public elementary school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Grand Prairie, part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. The school sits in a community with a diverse, partly immigrant population where major employment sectors include health care, manufacturing, and retail trade.

The school enrolls a small to mid-sized student body with a composition that reflects the broader community: a substantial majority of students are Hispanic, with smaller populations of Black, white, and Asian students. A very high proportion of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a predominantly low-income enrollment. Data on English learner and special education enrollment was not available.

The school's academic profile shows mixed performance across tested grades. In English language arts, fifth grade performs at an above-average level, while third grade falls below that mark and fourth grade sits somewhere in the middle. In math, fourth grade is the strongest year tested, while fifth grade is considerably lower and third grade is the lowest of the three grades. State testing in science and social studies is administered only to fifth grade; the science proficiency is notably low. When results across all tested subjects and grades are combined, the school's overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint among Dallas County districts, though this represents an aggregated measure that masks the unevenness within grades and subjects.

The school identifies itself through a fine arts emphasis in its name and program offerings, though detailed curriculum information about how arts instruction is delivered or integrated with core academics was not available. Because this is an elementary school, there are no high school pathways, advanced placement offerings, or graduation rates to consider.

Housing in the 75051 zip code where the school is located is affordable relative to state and national medians, with typical home values somewhat below the Texas benchmark. Monthly rental costs are moderate and remain accessible on regional income levels. The area's economic conditions show typical metropolitan stability, with unemployment near the national average and median household income above the national figure.

A parent considering this school would be choosing an elementary setting with a fine arts focus in a diverse, economically mixed neighborhood. The testing data shows students making progress in reading and writing by fifth grade, though math proficiency across grades needs attention, particularly in the upper elementary years. The school's standing relative to other Dallas County schools is solid, though individual grade-level results vary. Parents may want to discuss with the school directly how the fine arts emphasis complements core academics, especially in math, and what support structures exist for students not yet meeting proficiency.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 331%

School 31% · District 38% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 454%

School 54% · District 39% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 536%

School 36% · District 42% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 337%

School 37% · District 45% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 443%

School 43% · District 45% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

Grade 552%

School 52% · District 40% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Science

Grade 513%

School 13% · District 12% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

This schoolGRAND PRAIRIE 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-income58%Higher-income81%23 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income46%Higher-income79%33 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income29%Higher-income27%2 pp gap