The top reported proficiency rate is 57% in English language arts. The lowest is 55% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Hooks El
Hooks Elementary serves children in pre-kindergarten through fourth grade in a small, rural-suburban town about thirteen miles west of Texarkana in Bowie County. The school enrolls roughly three hundred students, a size typical for elementary schools in its region. About two-thirds of enrolled students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, reflecting modest household income in the area. The student body is majority white, with smaller shares of students who are Black, multiracial, or Hispanic. Data on the enrollment of English learners and students receiving special education services was not available.
On the most recent state assessments, third graders showed proficiency rates near the halfway mark in both English language arts and math, while fourth graders performed slightly better, with notably higher proficiency in language arts. When these grades are combined, roughly three in five students across the school scored at the "meets" level or above in math, and just over half did so in English language arts. The picture broadens when you look at the "approaches standard" threshold: about eight in ten students reached that level across both subjects, meaning most students are making progress, though not all have reached the full proficiency bar. When Texas reports achievement levels separately, roughly one in four students at Hooks reached the highest "masters" tier across tested subjects.
How does this performance compare to schools elsewhere in the county? Hooks Elementary's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among Bowie County's school districts, a meaningful distinction that shows this elementary is performing better than the typical school in its immediate peer group. This is the reading a parent should anchor on: a school where core instruction is reaching a majority of students, and where performance ranks above the county median.
The Hooks ISD bond that voters approved in 2021 has materially upgraded the elementary's physical plant through the period when current students have been enrolled. The district replaced classroom buildings, constructed an outdoor physical education pavilion, and built a new agriculture shop, work that was still underway through 2024 and 2025. These are not cosmetic changes; families using the school have access to newer instructional spaces and expanded facilities for hands-on learning.
Hooks itself is a quiet, home-owning community where most families are rooted. The town has declined modestly over recent decades but remains a close-knit place with strong church ties and a rural character within the Texarkana metro area. Housing in the school's attendance area is modest in cost and affordable relative to national benchmarks. The local economy centers on the Red River Army Depot, a large military facility, though many residents commute. The school sits within the town rather than on an isolated campus, anchoring civic life in a town that is small but stable.
State participation rate data was not available for these assessments, so a parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand the exact cohort tested. Prior-year trend data was not available either. What is clear is that this is a solid elementary school performing above its county peers, with modernized facilities and a student body that is progressing in foundational skills.
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