The top reported proficiency rate is 79% in English language arts. The lowest is 64% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Harry Mckillop El
Harry McKillop Elementary sits on Liberty Way in Melissa, Texas, embedded in one of the master-planned communities that have driven this part of Collin County's rapid growth. It serves kindergarten through fifth grade within Melissa ISD, and its enrollment is large for an elementary school of its grade band, spread fairly evenly across all six grade levels. The school is a regular public school with no charter or magnet designation.
On the Texas STAAR assessment, McKillop's results are strong. Reading and language arts proficiency climbs from the third grade through fifth grade, with the fifth-grade class reaching the high end of the range the data shows. Math proficiency across all three tested grades sits in the low-to-mid seventies, which places the school comfortably above the midpoint among districts in Collin County on the overall proficiency index, landing in the top quartile of that comparison set. Science, tested only in fifth grade, comes in somewhat lower than the reading and math results, which a parent may want to explore further with the school. The share of students reaching the "masters" level, the highest performance tier on STAAR, runs about half in math and a bit above half in reading, suggesting a meaningful portion of the student body is working well above the passing bar. Social studies masters-level performance is notably lower than the other subjects, though approaches-grade-level rates in social studies remain high. Trend data covers only the most recent year, so it is not possible to say whether performance is rising, falling, or holding steady.
The student body is majority white, with Asian students and Black students each making up a meaningful share, and Hispanic students and students identifying as two or more races adding further diversity. The free- and reduced-price lunch rate is quite low relative to state averages, pointing to a relatively affluent family base. Data on English learners and students with IEPs was not available in the payload.
The housing market around McKillop reflects the broader Melissa picture. Home values here are well above the Texas state benchmark and above national medians, and rents have dipped modestly year over year while values have pulled back more noticeably. The estimated monthly mortgage on a typical home in the area is substantial, and the rent-to-income ratio runs near the threshold financial planners often flag. Families relocating into these Liberty Way and adjacent neighborhoods should factor that context into their planning.
The community itself is publicly reported to be one of the fastest-growing cities in Collin County, a former farm town that has become a family-oriented suburb along the U.S. 75 corridor northeast of McKinney. Day-to-day retail has improved with recent grocery additions, though dining and shopping remain limited and residents commute into the broader Dallas-Fort Worth job market for most employment. A nearby landfill and feedlot can produce occasional odors, which is worth knowing before buying.
At the district level, Melissa ISD voters approved a substantial bond package in May 2025 to fund new elementary schools, a new middle school, a ninth-grade campus, an early childhood center, and technology and security upgrades, all driven by enrollment growth the community is clearly still experiencing. A previous bond from 2021 has already delivered three new campuses and a major high school expansion. The district has said the 2025 bond was structured not to raise the tax rate, though state law requires all such bonds to carry a "property tax increase" label, and rising appraisals can increase individual bills regardless of rate. Families should also know that school start times and bus routing are changing beginning in 2026-2027 due to a state legislative shift affecting bond revenue, a practical daily-schedule matter worth confirming with the district.
One other district development is directly relevant to elementary families: Melissa ISD is launching Cardinal Ridge Academy, a choice elementary built around a project-based learning model aligned to the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme, with an accelerated math pathway and Spanish and coding as specials. The district's gifted and talented services are moving to that campus, meaning GT students whose families prefer the McKillop attendance zone would need to choose between home-campus placement and the GT program. That is a meaningful decision point worth discussing with the district.
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