Cesar Chavez El, Little Elm TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Cesar Chavez El

Cesar Chavez Elementary serves pre-K through fifth grade in Little Elm, a fast-growing lakeside suburb in Denton County. The school enrolls a modest population of students across these early grades, with a notably diverse student body: roughly four in ten students are White, approaching three in ten are Hispanic, roughly one in five are Black, and smaller shares identify as Asian or multiracial. About three in five students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school in a economically mixed but cost-conscious community.

State testing data from the most recent year shows a school in academic transition. In English language arts, fourth and fifth graders perform noticeably stronger than third graders. Fifth-grade reading proficiency reaches above the midpoint, while fourth grade reaches closer to half of students meeting or exceeding standard. Third grade lags considerably. Math results are weaker across the board, with fewer than one in three students meeting standard in any tested grade, and proficiency actually dropping from third to fourth grade before a small rebound in fifth. Science testing, available only for fifth grade, shows particularly low performance. Across all subjects and grades combined, the school's proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in Denton County, meaning the school's performance is well below the median for its region.

Reading gains from third to fifth grade suggest the school may be building momentum in literacy, but the consistent weakness in mathematics and the very low science results indicate areas where a parent may want to look into further with the school. The school serves grades where state testing is limited, so the full scope of instruction in science, social studies, and other areas is not visible in these test results alone.

Little Elm itself is a residential community built around Lake Lewisville, marketed as a "bedroom community" where residents commute to work in nearby employment centers. The town has been among Texas's fastest-growing municipalities by percentage and continues to expand through new master-planned subdivisions. Housing values in the area reflect stable suburban demand with recent modest declines. The town's civic life centers on the Lakefront District, a walkable entertainment zone with restaurants, retail, a beach, and parks, though the broader community is car-oriented with most residents driving alone to work.

Little Elm ISD is itself growing rapidly. Voters approved a significant bond in November 2022 to fund two new elementary schools, high school additions, and safety upgrades, and the district opened a seventh elementary school in 2025. This growth means attendance zones and campus assignments may shift as the district expands. For families considering the area, enrollment in a school within an expanding district means both new facilities and the ongoing possibility of reassignment to newly opened campuses as growth continues.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 331%

School 31% · District 7% · ▲ 24 pts above district

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

Grade 424%

School 24% · District 0% · ▲ 24 pts above district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

Grade 527%

School 27% · District 0% · ▲ 27 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 335%

School 35% · District 36% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Grade 448%

School 48% · District 46% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

Grade 555%

School 55% · District 18% · ▲ 37 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Science

Grade 517%

School 17% · District 26% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

This schoolLITTLE ELM 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 3Lower-income30%Higher-income41%11 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income26%Higher-income64%38 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income47%Higher-income63%16 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income30%Higher-income31%1 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income22%Higher-income26%4 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income19%Higher-income34%15 pp gap