Walnut Springs El, New Braunfels TX

Original Research by School Decision on Walnut Springs El

Walnut Springs Elementary is a small public elementary school in New Braunfels serving prekindergarten through fifth grade. The enrollment is modest, with about a third of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is split roughly between White and Hispanic students, with smaller numbers of other backgrounds represented.

On the most recent state assessments, the school's academic performance is mixed by grade and subject. In reading and language arts, the school shows relative strength, with fourth-grade proficiency notably above the school's average and fifth-grade students also performing solidly. Third grade in reading meets standards at a similar rate. Math tells a different story. Third and fourth graders show moderate proficiency, but fifth-grade math proficiency drops substantially, less than half the cohort meeting grade-level standards. Science results, available only for fifth grade, align with math at the same lower level. Across all tested grades and subjects, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among districts in Comal County, though the county comparison includes only a small set of districts.

The reading strength relative to math weakness is worth noting. A parent might want to ask the school directly whether there are specific math interventions in place and what support structures exist for fifth graders, where performance gaps are most visible. The trend data available covers only the current year, so whether this pattern is consistent or changing is not visible in the available record.

Walnut Springs sits in New Braunfels, a community in the Hill Country north of San Antonio. The housing market there has seen modest price softening in recent months, and rents remain relatively moderate compared to national benchmarks. The district itself is in an active growth phase. Voters approved a major bond package in May 2024 funding facility upgrades districtwide, and the district opened Long Creek High School, its second comprehensive high school, in fall 2024. A first elementary magnet school is planned to open in August 2026, offering an application-based, specialized curriculum as a school-choice option. The district has also steadily reduced or held its property tax rate, a direct cost factor for families considering the area.

The school's modest size and early-grade focus mean it serves as a foundation before students transition to middle school. Its reading results suggest solid early literacy instruction, while math performance warrants conversation with the school about pedagogical approach and support systems, especially as students reach the upper elementary years.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 357%

School 57% · District 0% · ▲ 57 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 460%

School 60% · District 51% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 541%

School 41% · District 23% · ▲ 18 pts above district

even with state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 362%

School 62% · District 17% · ▲ 45 pts above district

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

Grade 475%

School 75% · District 63% · ▲ 12 pts above district

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

Grade 569%

School 69% · District 63% · ▲ 6 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 541%

School 41% · District 31% · ▲ 10 pts above district

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

This schoolNEW BRAUNFELS 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-income46%Higher-income77%31 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income60%Higher-income86%26 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income58%Higher-income76%18 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income43%Higher-income70%27 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income40%Higher-income75%35 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income38%Higher-income43%5 pp gap