Harry Herndon El, Royse City TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Harry Herndon El

Harry Herndon Elementary serves the early grades from pre-K through fifth, making it one of the elementary anchors in Royse City ISD during a period of rapid expansion. The school sits in a fast-growing Dallas suburb on the eastern edge of the Metroplex, where young families are moving into new master-planned subdivisions. Understanding this school means understanding both the academic performance it shows and the growth context driving it.

The school's test results point to uneven proficiency across subjects. In English language arts, about half of fourth and fifth graders reach proficiency, while third-grade performance is slightly lower. Math proficiency dips more noticeably: fewer than one-third of fourth and fifth graders test at proficiency, with fifth grade showing the steeper challenge. Science proficiency in fifth grade is notably low. These results suggest Harry Herndon is working with student population that includes a substantial share qualifying for free or reduced-price meals and a student body that is nearly half Hispanic and substantially Black and White in composition, with enrollment distributed across the grade bands served.

The school sits within Royse City ISD, which is managing explosive growth and major structural changes. Voters approved a large 2023 bond program to build a second high school and additional middle and elementary schools to absorb incoming families. A second comprehensive high school is scheduled to open in August 2027, and the district is adding elementary capacity as well. This expansion shapes what these schools are handling: rapid enrollment growth, shifting attendance zones, and continuous campus development. The M&O tax rate was reduced by more than 18 cents for 2023 onward, a meaningful adjustment to property taxes for families in the district.

Royse City itself functions as a bedroom community for Dallas, with most commuters driving to jobs elsewhere. The town retains a historic downtown but is transforming through new residential development: major master-planned subdivisions including Creekshaw, Magnolia Estates, and Woodcreek are attracting young families, and home prices and rents reflect the suburban Dallas market. A mixed-use development project, The Meadows at Royse City, is planned on a large site north of I-30 with housing, retail, office, and school facilities.

Harry Herndon's performance in reading and language arts is better anchored than math, where students are substantially behind proficiency targets. A parent looking at this school may want to ask the school directly about math support and intervention structures, what resources are available for students working below grade level, and how the school is addressing the gap in science proficiency. The school's placement in a district with strong growth momentum means stable enrollment and new facilities on the horizon, which can bring both the benefit of expanding resources and the disruption of changing boundaries and shifting peer groups as new schools open.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 433%

School 33% · District 10% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Grade 527%

School 27% · District 45% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 349%

School 49% · District 27% · ▲ 22 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 451%

School 51% · District 34% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 551%

School 51% · District 51%

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Science

Grade 517%

School 17% · District 10% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

This schoolROYSE CITY 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-income0%Higher-income63%63 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income46%Higher-income54%8 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income33%Higher-income58%25 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income22%Higher-income30%8 pp gap