Gregory-lincoln Ed Ctr, Houston TX

Original Research by School Decision on Gregory-lincoln Ed Ctr

Gregory-Lincoln Education Center serves PreK through 8th grade in the Taft neighborhood of Houston, in a diverse, economically challenged setting. It is a regular public school within Houston ISD, the district currently under state control following a June 2023 takeover by the Texas Education Agency.

The school enrolls about five hundred students, of whom a substantial majority qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is majority Black, with a significant Hispanic population and very small representation of other races. The early grades (PreK through 2nd) enroll roughly one hundred fifty students combined; the upper elementary and middle grades together make up the remainder. Special education enrollment data and English learner enrollment were not available in the data provided.

On 2024-25 state assessments, Gregory-Lincoln shows a pattern of proficiency that rises with grade level, particularly in English language arts. In the lower elementary grades, proficiency in math ranged from below to around one-third of students; in English, third grade proficiency hovered at the same level but improved slightly by fourth grade. By fifth grade math proficiency dipped notably, while ELA gains continued. The jump occurs in the middle grades: sixth and seventh grade show about half of students meeting proficiency in ELA, with seventh grade math proficiency around mid-range. Eighth grade marks the strongest performance, with about two-thirds proficiency in ELA and half in math. Science tells a different story: fifth-grade proficiency was very low, but eighth grade rebounded to proficiency for a substantial share. Eighth-grade social studies proficiency was weak. Across all subjects combined, the school operates with about one-third of students meeting or exceeding state proficiency standards, placing it above the midpoint of Harris County school districts on overall proficiency index.

This trajectory suggests the school may serve students whose foundational skills improve as they move through the grades, or whose engagement or instructional support strengthens in the upper grades, though parents may want to look more closely into what drives the later-grade improvement and whether it sustains.

The school sits in Houston's economically and demographically complex inner city. The neighborhood has modest median home values and rents typical of working and lower-income areas. Harris County's housing market has been cooling slightly, with inventory increasing and new listings declining year-over-year, though rent-to-income ratios remain substantial for renters.

Gregory-Lincoln operates within the Houston ISD system during a period of significant upheaval. Since the state takeover, the district has implemented the New Education System, a standardized instructional model with scripted lessons, longer school days, timed quizzes, and increased per-student funding at participating campuses. The model has expanded to dozens of schools and its elements are present across most district campuses. Additionally, the state takeover dissolved the elected school board; the district is now governed by a board of managers and superintendent appointed by the state, a status intended to remain in place through at least June 2027. In February 2026 the district voted to close or consolidate twelve schools after the current school year, citing enrollment decline and aging facilities. The district has lost a substantial number of students during the takeover period. Parents should be aware that Houston ISD campuses have also seen libraries converted into dual-use spaces for classroom overflow or student behavior support, and traditional librarian positions have been eliminated at some schools. In November 2024 voters defeated a major district bond package, leaving facility upgrades and capital projects unaddressed.

For families considering Gregory-Lincoln, the key questions center on whether the state-mandated reforms and instructional approach align with their expectations, what the closure and consolidation timeline means for the school's stability, and whether the school's observed grade-level improvement trajectory reflects the kind of academic environment they want for their children.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 328%

School 28% · District 47% · ▼ 19 pts below district

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

Grade 432%

School 32% · District 46% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 520%

School 20% · District 26% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 623%

School 23% · District 39% · ▼ 16 pts below district

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

Grade 743%

School 43% · District 35% · ▲ 8 pts above district

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

Grade 850%

School 50% · District 43% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 330%

School 30% · District 23% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 442%

School 42% · District 52% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Grade 533%

School 33% · District 26% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 652%

School 52% · District 51% · ▲ 1 pts above district

even with state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 752%

School 52% · District 50% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 865%

School 65% · District 53% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Science

Grade 52%

School 2% · District 3% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 858%

School 58% · District 42% · ▲ 16 pts above district

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

Social studies

Grade 820%

School 20% · District 25% · ▼ 5 pts below district

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

This schoolHOUSTON 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-income39%Higher-income67%28 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income26%Higher-income71%45 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income46%Higher-income89%43 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income64%Higher-income80%16 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income30%Higher-income50%20 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income13%Higher-income57%44 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income17%Higher-income50%33 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income49%Higher-income60%11 pp gap