The top reported proficiency rate is 46% in English language arts. The lowest is 19% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Holiman El
Holiman Elementary sits in the early grades and is an entry point into San Angelo ISD, which has been reshaping itself over the past two years through curricular, fiscal, and structural changes that parents should know about.
The school serves pre-K through fifth grade in a mixed neighborhood on the city's south side. Enrollment is small for its grade span, with most grades holding around fifty to fifty-five students. A substantial share of students—close to a third overall—come from Hispanic backgrounds, with a significant portion of white students and smaller numbers from other groups. Well over half the enrollment qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the school's working- and lower-income community position.
On state testing (STAAR) in reading and math, the school's proficiency stands below the midpoint among Tom Green County's district schools. In English language arts across grades three through five, students are meeting proficiency at modest rates, with slightly stronger performance in third grade. Math shows softer results, with proficiency dropping as grades advance, and fifth-grade science proficiency is particularly low. Across both subjects, the school has a wide gap between students meeting standards and those approaching them, meaning many students are in the earlier competency bands. A parent may want to understand from the school what support systems exist for students not yet meeting grade-level benchmarks and what supplemental instruction is available.
The district itself is in transition. In November 2024, voters approved new annual funding that raised minimum starting teacher pay and funded an armed officer at every campus, a staffing and security change now in effect. In March 2025, the school board adopted the Bluebonnet Learning curriculum for K-5 reading and language arts and K-8 mathematics, effective fall 2025. This adoption drew public debate over its scripted instructional methods and religious content; parents may want to learn how the school intends to implement it and what flexibility exists for differentiation. In May 2025, voters passed a significant bond measure—the first in the district in years—to fund a new middle school, renovations to high schools, and facility upgrades across the system, creating a modest property tax increase for most homeowners (though not those over sixty-five with a frozen exemption).
At a broader level, San Angelo ISD is contracting. Enrollment has declined steadily over decades. San Jacinto Elementary closed and consolidated with Reagan Elementary after the 2024-25 school year, and the district plans to close two more elementary schools by fall 2027, moving from fifteen elementary schools to twelve. These closures will reshape attendance zones and student reassignments. Holiman's own future in this consolidation is not addressed in the available data, so a parent should ask the district directly where the school fits in the master plan.
The city of San Angelo itself is a mid-sized West Texas community anchored by Goodfellow Air Force Base, a regional medical center, and higher education. The downtown area has revitalized around the Concho River Walk, a multi-mile lit trail system with parks and public spaces that has become a daily hub. New single-family residential development is occurring on the city edges. Housing costs are moderate relative to the state and national averages, and the market has softened in the past year, with homes taking longer to sell.
For a family considering Holiman, the question is whether the current academic performance and the district's curricular and structural shifts align with their needs and expectations. The school is a neighborhood elementary with accessible housing nearby and serves a diverse, working-family population. The proficiency data shows both opportunity and challenge. The district changes are substantial and ongoing; parents should engage directly with the school about implementation and with the district about its longer-term staffing and consolidation plans.
See more original research from School Decision →