Bowie El, Dallas TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Bowie El

Bowie Elementary is a public school in the La Manga neighborhood of Dallas, serving preK through sixth grade in what is now a reconfiguring district. The school sits in a zip code where home values are just above the Dallas County median and rents are slightly above county norms; the surrounding area is mixed residential and commercial, with proximity to both established neighborhoods and commercial corridors typical of central Dallas.

The school's enrollment runs small to moderate for an elementary building serving the full primary span, with a majority-white enrollment, a sizable Hispanic population, and a Black student presence. A modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, suggesting mixed but generally higher economic status in the attendance zone.

On state assessments, Bowie shows a clear strength in language arts. Reading proficiency rises through the grade bands, particularly strong in grades five and six, where proficiency rates are high. Math proficiency is solid in the earlier and later grades but dips noticeably in fourth grade, where it sits notably lower than in third grade. Fifth grade shows recovery, and sixth grade rebounds to high proficiency. Science proficiency in fifth grade is moderate. Overall across subjects, the school sits in the top quartile of Dallas County districts by proficiency index, a meaningful position relative to its peer schools in the county.

The Texas Education Agency administers STAAR assessments by grade, and participation rate data was not available for any grade tested. The school does not serve grades seven and eight, so there is no high school graduation rate. Attendance and chronic absenteeism data were not provided in the public record.

Richardson ISD, the school's parent district, is in the midst of a major structural change. The district is converting from a junior-high model (grades seven through nine) to a middle-school model (grades six through eight), moving sixth grade into middle schools rather than keeping it at the elementary level. Two campuses, Lake Highlands and Forest Meadow, converted to middle schools serving sixth through eighth grades in the 2024-25 school year. The remaining six junior highs are scheduled to complete this transition by fall 2028. For families with a child finishing fifth grade at Bowie, this means that starting in 2028 or possibly earlier if their attendance zone aligns with an earlier-transitioning campus, the student's sixth-grade year will be at a middle school serving grades 6-8 rather than remaining at an elementary campus. Parents should confirm their attendance zone's transition timeline with the district.

The district also approved a substantial bond package in November 2025 that will fund a new Career and Technical Education Center serving all four high schools, technology device replacements, and stadium upgrades, alongside a school tax rate increase. These shifts shape both the educational pathway and the cost structure for families in the district.

Bowie's academic profile leans toward language arts strength and solid math performance, with proficiency rates that place it ahead of most schools in its county. The neighborhood setting is residential with mixed economic character, and the school is in a growth district managing a district-wide grade reconfiguration that will affect how students transition beyond sixth grade.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 378%

School 78% · District 15% · ▲ 63 pts above district

▲ 38 pts above state median · ▲ 43 pts above county median

Grade 463%

School 63% · District 11% · ▲ 52 pts above district

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

Grade 571%

School 71% · District 51% · ▲ 20 pts above district

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 33 pts above county median

Grade 681%

School 81% · District 47% · ▲ 34 pts above district

▲ 47 pts above state median · ▲ 51 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 370%

School 70% · District 20% · ▲ 50 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 33 pts above county median

Grade 476%

School 76% · District 21% · ▲ 55 pts above district

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

Grade 588%

School 88% · District 30% · ▲ 58 pts above district

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 38 pts above county median

Grade 692%

School 92% · District 56% · ▲ 36 pts above district

▲ 40 pts above state median · ▲ 48 pts above county median

Science

Grade 572%

School 72% · District 1% · ▲ 71 pts above district

▲ 49 pts above state median · ▲ 53 pts above county median

This schoolRICHARDSON 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-income9%Higher-income80%71 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income14%Higher-income88%74 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income75%Higher-income94%19 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income9%Higher-income88%79 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income43%Higher-income68%25 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income25%Higher-income87%62 pp gap