The top reported proficiency rate is 37% in English language arts. The lowest is 12% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Zavalla El
Zavalla Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in a small town setting in Angelina County, Texas. The school enrolls a modest number of students across its grade band, with roughly three-quarters of the enrollment qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly White, with a small Hispanic population and a handful of students from other backgrounds. Data on special education enrollment and English learner status were not available.
The school's 2024-25 state assessment results show meaningful variation by grade and subject. In English language arts, performance ranges widely: third grade shows moderate proficiency while fifth grade performs substantially better, reaching the state's proficiency benchmark for half the tested students. Third and fourth grades performed below proficiency in math, while fifth grade's math results were similarly low. Science testing is only administered in fifth grade at this level; proficiency there was limited. In social studies, students performed well on basic comprehension measures, with most meeting the "approaches proficiency" level, though fewer students reached the proficiency threshold itself.
When looked at as a school whole, across all tested grades and subjects, about one in five students met the state's proficiency standard. This places Zavalla Elementary in the bottom quartile for proficiency among school districts in Angelina County. However, the school's recent trajectory matters. Publicly reported data from the 2024-25 school year show that Zavalla Elementary made a notable academic accountability turnaround, rising from a state score of 44 in 2024 to 69 in 2025. That improvement moved the campus from "federal comprehensive" status into "comprehensive progress" and positioned it close to exiting the state improvement list. This reversal is meaningful context for a parent weighing the school.
The median home value in the 75980 zip code where the school is located sits modestly below the Texas state benchmark, and housing costs have declined slightly year-over-year. The local mortgage and economic data reflect regional conditions: moderate mortgage rates, a stable unemployment level, and a state-level median household income that suggests a working-class community. This is a rural place where affordability is relatively accessible but family resources may be more stretched than in urban or suburban areas.
Staffing, attendance, and detailed discipline data were not available for review. The district brief notes that beginning in the 2025-26 school year, Zavalla High School (the secondary campus) launched a new Patient Care Technician and allied health sciences nursing program in partnership with Angelina College, giving high school students a pathway to earn an industry-recognized healthcare certification. While this does not directly serve elementary students, it signals that the district is building career-readiness pathways that may be of interest to families planning through middle school.
A parent considering Zavalla Elementary should understand that the school currently serves a population with substantial economic need, that proficiency rates in core academics are low, and that improvement from 2024 to 2025 is recent enough that stability over time is not yet confirmed. The same parent should also note the documented gain in state accountability status and the district's expansion of dual-credit and certification pathways at the high school level, both of which speak to the district's direction.
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