The top reported proficiency rate is 61% in English language arts. The lowest is 47% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on James L Wright El
James L Wright Elementary serves grades one through three in Perryton, a small county-seat town in the far northern Texas Panhandle. The school is a regular public elementary housed in an aging building that the district identified as a major renovation priority; in May 2023, voters approved the largest bond in district history, which includes substantial upgrades to Wright Elementary along with improvements to the high school and athletic facilities. That bond carries a lasting increase to the district's property tax rate for Interest and Sinking, a factor any relocating family would factor into housing costs.
The school enrolls a student body of roughly four hundred. About two-thirds of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic circumstances of Perryton's working families in oil and gas, agriculture, and cattle operations. The enrollment is ethnically diverse, with roughly three-quarters of students Hispanic or Latino and most of the remainder white. State testing data for third grade, the school's upper grade, showed math proficiency near or slightly below the midpoint and English language arts proficiency near the midpoint. Across all tested grades at the school, about half of students met grade-level standards in math and about half in ELA, with small shares reaching advanced mastery in either subject. The school does not report separate data on English learner enrollment or special education population, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about support services for those groups.
Perryton ISD operates a small, integrated system of six schools across prekindergarten through twelfth grade, all clustered on the south side of town rather than the commercial downtown. Wright Elementary sits among those campuses; the district provides a straightforward pathway through the intermediate school (grades four and five), junior high (grades six through eight), and high school (grades nine through twelve). The district is not a charter system and serves the full geographic footprint of the town and surrounding county.
Perryton itself is a working, agricultural, and energy economy shaped by wheat production, cattle ranching, and oil and gas extraction. The town is economically stressed and recovering from an EF3 tornado that struck in June 2023, killing three people and destroying many homes; downtown Main Street saw severe damage that is still being rebuilt. The median home value is moderate and has grown, and the cost of ownership relative to household income sits close to the national ratio. Most residents drive to work; the town is car-dependent with minimal public transit. Day-to-day community life centers on the Perry Memorial Library, parks including Whigham Park downtown, the Museum of the Plains, and recreational facilities like the municipal swimming pool. The school sits in this context: a small, grounded community school in a town in active recovery mode.
A parent considering Wright Elementary should understand that the school serves early elementary grades only, so the state does offer no multi-year trend data or grade-level progression to track within the school itself. Testing results are current but limited to one grade and one year of data. The bond-funded renovations will be a material improvement to the facility. Questions worth asking the school directly include the availability and quality of English learner and special education services, after-school programming, and how the district supports a student body with high rates of economic need. For families moving to Perryton, the tornado recovery and small-town character are realities that shape both day-to-day life and school operations.
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