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Alumni: what's one memory from BUCKALEW EL that still sticks with you?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
823
Elementary
DISTRICT 786 · STATE 519
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·CONROE ISD·NCES 481500007997
Buckalew Elementary School
4909 W ALDEN BRIDGE DR, THE WOODLANDS, TX 77382 · (281) 465-3400 · Montgomery County
GRADES PK–04ELEMENTARY12-CITYREGULAR SCHOOL823 STUDENTS
A
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 94% of Texas public elementary schools
- A+Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- A+Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- C-Three-year trend Change in reading and math proficiency over the last three test years.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Texas public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
17.3:1
48 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 14.5:1 · STATE 15.1:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
18%
149 students
DISTRICT 49% · STATE 65%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 9 | 1% |
| Kindergarten | 159 | 19% |
| Grade 1 | 146 | 18% |
| Grade 2 | 145 | 18% |
| Grade 3 | 179 | 22% |
| Grade 4 | 185 | 22% |
This year's kindergarten class (159) is 14% smaller than its 4th grade class (185).
Student demographics
65%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 67% · STATE 63% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
STAAR 2025-26 . % Meets Grade Level or AboveReading
77.0%
TX avg 54.5% . +12.0pp since 2020
Mathematics
78.0%
TX avg 45.3% . +2.0pp since 2020
What this means: On the STAAR, Texas's statewide test, about 77 of every 100 students at this school read at grade level and about 78 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Texas schools, those numbers are about 55 and 45. Reading scores are up about 12 points since 2020, while math scores are up about 2 points.
Performance levels, 2025-26
| Subject | Masters Grade Level | Meets Grade Level | Approaches Grade Level | Did Not Meet Grade Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 48.0% | 29.0% | 14.0% | 9.0% |
| Mathematics | 46.0% | 32.0% | 11.0% | 11.0% |
Share of tested students at each STAAR level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.
STAAR results by year
| School year | Reading | Mathematics |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 77.0% | 78.0% |
| 2024-25 | 84.0% | 85.0% |
| 2023-24 | 85.0% | 83.0% |
| 2022-23 | 85.0% | 75.0% |
| 2021-22 | 93.0% | 80.0% |
| 2020-21 | 65.0% | 76.0% |
% Meets Grade Level or Above, all students and all tested grades.
Source: STAAR. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
OUTPERFORMING
Top 10% of TX schools after controlling for student poverty
Actual proficiency
84.3%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
66.0%
based on TX schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+18.3pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 84% of students here test proficient in math and reading, well above the roughly 66% typical for Texas schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations ranks schools against others at the same poverty level, not by raw scores, so a school can post high scores and still fall short of its prediction, or post lower scores and still beat it. This school clears its prediction by about 18 points, placing it in Texas's top 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Buckalew Elementary School
Buckalew Elementary School's state test result (84.3% proficient) is higher than 5 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buckalew Elementary School this school | 823 | 18.1% | 84.3% |
| Campbell Elementary School LEAGUE CITY | 791 | 16.3% | 60.9% |
| Sampson Elementary School CYPRESS | 900 | 17.1% | 78.1% |
| Powell Elementary School THE WOODLANDS | 830 | 20.8% | 75.3% |
| Doss Elementary School AUSTIN | 930 | 19.1% | 71.1% |
| Bush Elementary School THE WOODLANDS | 881 | 17.4% | 77.7% |
Matched among Texas elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Buckalew Elementary School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Texas | In Montgomery County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 84.3% | #34 of 4,401 | #2 of 77 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 78.0% | #175 of 4,466 ▼ 118 | #8 of 77 ▼ 7 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 77.0% | #373 of 4,466 ▼ 221 | #7 of 77 ▼ 1 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest drop first | -2.5pp | #886 of 3,998 | #16 of 70 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 823 | #373 of 4,938 | #23 of 79 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 17.3:1 | #3,985 of 4,622 | #76 of 78 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 64.9% | #977 of 4,628 | #19 of 78 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 18.1% | #4,487 of 4,789 | #69 of 78 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +30.2% | #250 of 1,307 | #4 of 28 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
823
+200 (+32%) vs 2020
-2% since 2000-01, when it was 837
Student : Teacher
17.3:1
was 16.0:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 823 | 47.7 | 17.3:1 | 18% (149) |
| 2023-24 | 743 | 45.9 | 16.2:1 | 15% (109) |
| 2022-23 | 702 | 42 | 16.7:1 | 12% (86) |
| 2020-21 | 623 | 39 | 16.0:1 | 8% (51) |
| 2017-18 | 632 | 37 | 17.1:1 | 5% (32) |
| 2015-16 | 673 | 38 | 17.7:1 | 2% (13) |
| 2010-11 | 828 | 49 | 16.9:1 | 3% (23) |
| 2000-01 | 837 | 45 | 18.6:1 | 0% (1) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Buckalew Elementary School.
Since 2017-18: students up 30% (632 to 823); teachers up 29% (37 to 47.7).
About Buckalew Elementary School
Buckalew Elementary School is a high-enrollment elementary school with its address in THE WOODLANDS, Texas. Classes run from pre-K through 4, and the school has 823 students. The average for elementary schools in Texas is about 519 students, so this school is 59% bigger than average.
CONROE ISD runs 66 schools with a combined 72,914 students. Buckalew Elementary School is one of them.
By race and ethnicity, Buckalew Elementary School is 52% White. The rest of enrollment is 25% Hispanic, 10% Asian, 9% multiracial, and 4% Black. Census estimates put the White share of Montgomery County's population at about 67%. Buckalew Elementary School has a diversity index of 65%, compared with 70% for all US public school students.
Its teaching staff equals 47.7 full-time positions, a ratio of 17.3:1. For comparison, elementary schools in Texas average 15.1:1. Free and reduced-price lunch eligibility, a common measure of family income, is 18%. The gap from the 48% average for public schools in Montgomery County is 30 points.
allk12 grades Buckalew Elementary School an A. The grade compares the school only with Texas public elementary schools, because each state gives its own test.
Buckalew Elementary School outperforms its prediction by 18.3 points. The model expects 66.0% for a school with its free or reduced-price lunch share in Texas; the school's rate is 84.3%.
Census Bureau estimates for Montgomery County show that median household income is about $97,701, roughly 39% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and about 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Buckalew Elementary School is one of 160 public schools in Montgomery County, which together enroll about 134,595 students.
The closest other public school is Galatas Elementary School, about 1.1 miles away. There are at least 8 other public schools within five miles. Local comparison: Buckalew Elementary School ranks 1st of 9 nearby schools, at 84.3% versus a 70.6% average.
NCES lists the school's locale as City: Mid-size. That means it sits inside a principal city with a population between 100,000 and 250,000.
A comparison of 2020-21 and 2024-25 shows enrollment up 32%, from 623 to 823. By 2024-25, the school had 17.3 students per teacher, compared with 16.0 in 2020-21.
The discussion area below is open to posts about enrollment questions, class placement, and PTA news. Reviews and ratings from people who know the school are welcome.
Montgomery County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
684,432
Census ACS
Median income
$97,701
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
39%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
160
134,595 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in CONROE ISD
- Conroe High SchoolHigh · 5,252 students
- The Woodlands High SchoolHigh · 4,444 students
- Grand Oaks High SchoolHigh · 3,836 students
- College Park High SchoolHigh · 3,313 students
- Caney Creek High SchoolHigh · 2,783 students
- Oak Ridge High SchoolHigh · 2,758 students
Other schools in THE WOODLANDS
- The Woodlands High SchoolHigh · 4,444 students
- College Park High SchoolHigh · 3,313 students
- McCullough Junior High SchoolMiddle · 2,195 students
- Knox Junior High SchoolMiddle · 1,395 students
- Mitchell Intermediate SchoolMiddle · 1,253 students
- Creekside Park Junior High SchoolMiddle · 1,219 students
Nearby schools
- Galatas Elementary School1.1 mi · 792
- Tom R Ellisor Elementary School1.4 mi · 569
- Bush Elementary School1.7 mi · 881
- Mitchell Intermediate School1.8 mi · 1,253
- Powell Elementary School2.0 mi · 830
- Bear Branch Intermediate School2.0 mi · 1,082
Frequently asked questions
About Buckalew Elementary SchoolWhat is the total enrollment at Buckalew Elementary School?
Buckalew Elementary School enrolls approximately 823 students in grades PK-04.
What age range does Buckalew Elementary School serve?
Buckalew Elementary School serves students from grade PK through grade 04.
How many students per teacher at Buckalew Elementary School?
Approximately 17.3:1 students per teacher at Buckalew Elementary School.
How diverse is Buckalew Elementary School?
Buckalew Elementary School reports a student body of 52% White, 25% Hispanic, 4% Black, 10% Asian, 9% Two or more.
Who oversees Buckalew Elementary School?
Buckalew Elementary School is overseen by CONROE ISD in Montgomery County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.