The top reported proficiency rate is 55% in English language arts. The lowest is 23% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Evelyn Turlington El
Evelyn Turlington Elementary serves preschool through fifth grade in Hockley, an unincorporated exurban community northwest of Houston that is transitioning rapidly from rural farmland into a boom-growth area with large master-planned residential communities and significant industrial employment along the U.S. 290 corridor. The school sits within Waller ISD, a district experiencing enrollment growth that has prompted recent and planned major capital expansion, including passage of a bond in 2024 to build two new elementary schools, a junior high, and a second high school.
The school's student body is economically disadvantaged, with a substantial share qualifying for free or reduced-price meals. Demographically, the enrollment is majority Hispanic, with a significant white minority and smaller Black and Asian populations. The school is mid-sized for its grade band, enrolling students from pre-K through fifth grade.
On state assessments administered in spring 2025, the school shows uneven performance across subjects and grades. In English language arts, proficiency rates range across the tested grades (third through fifth), with the strongest showing in fifth grade and third grade comparable to fourth grade, which lagged slightly. Math proficiency declines noticeably across grade levels, dropping from about half in third grade to lower rates in fourth and fifth. Science proficiency in fifth grade is notably weak, reflecting a pattern some schools experience when science instruction receives less classroom time or focus in elementary settings. Overall across all tested grades and subjects, the school reports that about three-quarters of students reached the "approaches" level, about half met grade-level standards, and one-fifth mastered content.
Among the three districts in Waller County, Evelyn Turlington ranks in the top quartile on overall proficiency, though this comparison reflects the county's performance distribution rather than a state-wide benchmark. A parent may want to look into the school's specific supports for math and science, particularly in the upper elementary grades, and how the school plans to address the wider gap in science.
The school opened into a community and district context marked by significant change. Hockley itself is among the fastest-growing Houston exurban areas, with multiple large master-planned communities under development and heavy new industrial and distribution employment arriving along the corridor. Waller ISD has lowered its property tax rate over recent years even as it has pursued major bond-funded expansions, a signal of fiscal management prioritizing rate relief alongside growth infrastructure. Housing in the Hockley area remains affordable relative to broader Houston metro and national benchmarks, making it an attractive zone for families seeking affordability and new construction while accepting the trade-off of auto-dependency and distance from urban cores.
Evelyn Turlington is a typical elementary campus in a district experiencing the stress and opportunity of rapid enrollment growth. The school is managing a large, economically diverse enrollment with academic performance that is uneven but competitive within its county peer set. Families considering the school should weigh its affordability and new-community context against the reality that proficiency rates are modest, particularly as students advance and curriculum becomes more demanding, and should inquire directly about remediation, intervention, and enrichment support the school offers.
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