Bush El, Midland TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Bush El

Bush Elementary serves grades pre-K through sixth in Midland, a West Texas oil-and-gas hub that has grown substantially and built itself on energy-sector wealth. The school enrolls a diverse student body, with substantial shares of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch and a student population that is roughly half Hispanic, a quarter White, and with meaningful representation of Black and Asian students. The school is part of Midland ISD, which recently passed the largest bond in the community's history and is undertaking major facilities and grade-structure changes set to begin in 2028.

On state testing, Bush Elementary shows uneven achievement across its tested grades. In English language arts, third grade performs near the midpoint of the state's proficiency scale at about half of students meeting or exceeding standards, while fourth grade dips to about two-fifths of students proficient. Fifth grade rebounds to about three-fifths of students meeting standards, and sixth grade, the school's strongest showing, reaches about two-thirds of students proficient. Math follows a similar but slightly weaker pattern: third and fourth grades hover around the middle or just below, with sixth grade performing best at about three-fifths of students meeting standards. Science and social studies data are limited; a small handful of students in upper grades took the Spanish-language assessment and results cannot be reported. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency sits above the midpoint when compared to other districts in Midland County.

The school's tested grades show a pattern of performance that improves noticeably by sixth grade but does not reach the levels typically considered strong. Most of the gains students make happen in the upper elementary years. Parents may want to explore with the school what instructional approaches are in place for grades three and four, where nearly half or more of students are not yet proficient. The district recently moved to a phonics-based reading curriculum emphasizing the science of reading, which should affect instruction districtwide.

Bush Elementary sits in the Preston Drive neighborhood of Midland, in a community shaped entirely by the energy economy. The median home value in the zip code is well above the national average, and rents reflect a strong local market. The city itself is car-dependent and spread out, though downtown has been investing in revitalization. Midland ISD has embarked on a major transformation: the 2023 bond will fund two new high schools and a new elementary campus, and the district is preparing for a grade reconfiguration in 2028 that will move all sixth graders from elementary schools into middle schools. For families at Bush, this means the school will eventually serve only pre-K through fifth grade, a change that will ripple through staffing and program structure over the next few years. The bond success after five consecutive defeats signals renewed community commitment to schools, and sustained enrollment growth in the district reflects the broader vitality of Midland's economy and housing market.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 346%

School 46% · District 41% · ▲ 5 pts above district

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

Grade 443%

School 43% · District 50% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▲ 2 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 660%

School 60% · District 43% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 348%

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

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 439%

School 39% · District 40% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Grade 555%

School 55% · District 31% · ▲ 24 pts above district

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

Grade 666%

School 66% · District 51% · ▲ 15 pts above district

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

This schoolMIDLAND 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-income36%Higher-income64%28 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income38%Higher-income41%3 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income50%Higher-income60%10 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income62%Higher-income74%12 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income38%Higher-income58%20 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income40%Higher-income48%8 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income50%Higher-income63%13 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income56%Higher-income68%12 pp gap