The top reported proficiency rate is 54% in Math. The lowest is 20% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on H T Jones El
H T Jones Elementary sits on Owens Road in Hempstead, the county seat of Waller County about 50 miles northwest of Houston. It serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as part of Waller ISD, a district that has been growing rapidly given Hempstead's position along the US highway corridor into Houston. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet program.
The student body is large for an elementary campus. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places this well within the higher end of economic need for a campus its size. The student population is predominantly Hispanic, with a meaningful share of Black students and a smaller share of white students. English learner counts were not available in the data provided.
On the Texas STAAR assessment, the picture varies by grade and subject. Third-grade math showed strong results, with most students tested reaching proficiency, though the tested group in third grade was very small, which limits how much weight a parent should place on that single figure. In fourth and fifth grade, where the tested groups are considerably larger, math proficiency drops to roughly two-fifths of students or below. Reading and language arts results are similar: roughly four in ten fourth and fifth graders reached the proficiency threshold. Science results in fifth grade were the weakest area, with only about one in five students scoring proficient. The social studies results available follow a similar pattern. Across all tested subjects combined, roughly seven in ten students "approach grade level" under the STAAR framework, but the share meeting or mastering grade-level expectations is lower, and the share reaching masters-level performance is quite small. Relative to the other districts in Waller County, H T Jones performs above the midpoint on an overall proficiency index, placing it in the top position among the three Waller County districts in that comparison, though a parent should read that as context about local peers rather than a claim of strong absolute attainment. The academic data here is from a single year, so trend information is not yet available to show whether results are improving, flat, or declining. A parent who wants a fuller picture of whether the school is making progress should ask the school directly.
No program details, staffing ratios, or attendance or discipline data were provided in the data for this campus.
Hempstead itself is a small city with agricultural roots, historically tied to produce shipping and carrying the informal designation as the watermelon capital of Texas. It has a compact historic core with gridded streets and a mix of cottage, ranch, and newer home styles. The campus and district schools sit close to the town center, keeping school-related travel short for most residents. Car ownership is essential; there is no public transit. A freight rail line passes through downtown.
The housing market here sits modestly below the Texas state median home value and noticeably below the national median, with values roughly flat or slightly down year over year. Waller ISD has publicly reported a continuing trend of lowering its property tax rate over the past several years, with both recent bond programs funded within the existing rate, which matters to homeowners tracking carrying costs.
The district is in an active construction phase. Voters passed a major bond in 2024 to fund two new elementary schools, a new junior high, and a second high school. A similar bond in 2022 funded three additional elementary campuses and safety upgrades. District enrollment has grown sharply over the past decade and is projected to continue growing substantially. Families considering a home in Hempstead are entering a district mid-expansion, which brings both the promise of newer facilities and the practical reality of a system managing fast growth. H-E-B's planned multi-phase distribution campus south of the highway, publicly reported as under construction with phases running into 2026, is the largest single employer investment coming to the area and is expected to bring additional residents and economic activity over the next several years.
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