BIG SANDY EL

BIG SANDY EL is one of the compact K-5 schools in BIG SANDY, Texas, overseen by BIG SANDY ISD, with 320 students on its rolls from grades pre-K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 519 students per school, that is 38% smaller than typical.

BIG SANDY ISD runs 4 schools in total, collectively educating 1,155 students. BIG SANDY EL is one of those campuses.

In terms of who attends, BIG SANDY EL lists that 66% of the student body identifies as White. Beyond that, the school records 16% Hispanic, 10% Black, 7% multiracial. By comparison, Upshur County as a whole is about 79% White, so the school skews noticeably less White than its surroundings.

On the resource side, The school employs 24 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 13.3:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 15.1:1 average. An estimated 67% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. Set against Upshur County (around 59%), the school's rate is somewhat above typical.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), BIG SANDY EL tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 44.5% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 43.7%.

In the broader community, community-level numbers for Upshur County indicate median household earnings sit near $66,208, 18% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 10%. BIG SANDY EL is one of 25 public schools in Upshur County (combined enrollment of about 7,918 students).

BIG SANDY J H is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.0 miles from this campus. Within five miles, there are 3 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts BIG SANDY EL at 5th of 8; the average score across the group is 41.6%.

BIG SANDY EL operates from a low-density location.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at BIG SANDY EL has changed only slightly, going from 328 students in 2018 to 320 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 76% to 66% across the same window.

On the community side, recent activity here tends to focus on sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.