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Alumni: what's one memory from JOELLA EXLEY EL that still sticks with you?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
868
Elementary
DISTRICT 905 · STATE 519
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·KATY ISD·NCES 482517010765
Joella Exley Elementary School
21800 WESTHEIMER PKWY, KATY, TX 77494 · (281) 237-8400 · Fort Bend County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY21-SUBURBREGULAR SCHOOL868 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
12.8:1
68 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 12.6:1 · STATE 15.1:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
38%
329 students
DISTRICT 46% · 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 | 89 | 10% |
| Kindergarten | 95 | 11% |
| Grade 1 | 120 | 14% |
| Grade 2 | 135 | 16% |
| Grade 3 | 141 | 16% |
| Grade 4 | 153 | 18% |
| Grade 5 | 135 | 16% |
This year's kindergarten class (95) is 30% smaller than its 5th grade class (135).
Student demographics
73%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 75% · 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
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Based on published attendance-zone data from KATY ISD. Zones change; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
STAAR 2025-26 . % Meets Grade Level or AboveReading
73.0%
TX avg 54.5% . +7.0pp since 2020
Mathematics
65.0%
TX avg 45.3% . +0.0pp since 2020
What this means: On the STAAR, Texas's statewide test, about 73 of every 100 students at this school read at grade level and about 65 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Texas schools, those numbers are about 55 and 45. Reading scores are up about 7 points since 2020, while math scores have held steady.
Performance levels, 2025-26
| Subject | Masters Grade Level | Meets Grade Level | Approaches Grade Level | Did Not Meet Grade Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 47.0% | 26.0% | 13.0% | 14.0% |
| Mathematics | 36.0% | 29.0% | 21.0% | 14.0% |
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 | 73.0% | 65.0% |
| 2024-25 | 74.0% | 65.0% |
| 2023-24 | 75.0% | 62.0% |
| 2022-23 | 72.0% | 64.0% |
| 2021-22 | 78.0% | 69.0% |
| 2020-21 | 66.0% | 65.0% |
% 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
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
64.8%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
57.5%
based on TX schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+7.3pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 65% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 58% typical for Texas schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Texas's top nor bottom 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 Joella Exley Elementary School
Joella Exley Elementary School's state test result (64.8% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joella Exley Elementary School this school | 868 | 37.9% | 64.8% |
| Lizzie Curtis Elementary School FORT WORTH | 783 | 37.9% | 43.9% |
| Briarmeadow Charter HOUSTON | 591 | 42.8% | 72.6% |
| Summitt Elementary School AUSTIN | 764 | 26.4% | 67.3% |
| John W Armstrong Elementary School SACHSE | 724 | 41.2% | 67.0% |
| Willow Creek Elementary School TOMBALL | 687 | 39.7% | 79.2% |
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 Joella Exley Elementary School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Texas | In Fort Bend County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 64.8% | #528 of 4,401 | #46 of 113 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 65.0% | #650 of 4,466 ▼ 43 | #45 of 113 ▲ 3 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 73.0% | #579 of 4,466 ▼ 34 | #49 of 113 ▼ 3 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +1.0pp | #2,701 of 3,998 | #67 of 104 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 868 | #258 of 4,938 | #33 of 119 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 12.8:1 | #670 of 4,622 | #19 of 116 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 73.1% | #235 of 4,628 | #32 of 116 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 37.9% | #4,010 of 4,789 | #73 of 117 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -11.6% | #1,906 of 2,838 | #44 of 61 |
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
868
-84 (-9%) vs 2020
-18% since 2010-11, when it was 1,062
Student : Teacher
12.8:1
was 13.6:1
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 | 868 | 68 | 12.8:1 | 38% (329) |
| 2023-24 | 944 | 71.8 | 13.2:1 | 40% (381) |
| 2022-23 | 954 | 70 | 13.6:1 | 39% (373) |
| 2020-21 | 952 | 70 | 13.6:1 | 30% (288) |
| 2017-18 | 982 | 64.8 | 15.2:1 | 25% (247) |
| 2015-16 | 976 | 64 | 15.3:1 | 15% (151) |
| 2010-11 | 1,062 | 63 | 16.9:1 | 14% (144) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Joella Exley Elementary School.
Since 2017-18: students down 12% (982 to 868); teachers up 5% (64.8 to 68).
About Joella Exley Elementary School
Joella Exley Elementary School is a large elementary school for students in KATY, Texas. It teaches 868 students in pre-K through 5. By comparison, elementary schools in Texas enroll about 519 students on average.
Federal data list 78 schools in KATY ISD, with 96,111 students enrolled.
The largest group at Joella Exley Elementary School is White students, at 34%. The school is also 30% Asian, 25% Hispanic, 8% Black, and 4% multiracial. Census estimates put Fort Bend County at about 34% White, close to the school's figure. Measured by the diversity index, the student body scores 73%.
Staffing at Joella Exley Elementary School comes to 68 full-time-equivalent teachers, or 12.8:1. The school's 12.8:1 compares with an average of 15.1:1 for elementary schools in Texas. On the income side, 38% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
Predicted from its free or reduced-price lunch share, Joella Exley Elementary School would score about 57.5%. It scores 64.8%, 7.3 points above that figure.
The school's county is Fort Bend County. According to Census Bureau estimates, the median household earns about $114,041 a year, roughly 50% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 7%. Joella Exley Elementary School shares Fort Bend County with 216 other public schools.
Measured in a straight line, Garland McMeans Junior High School is about 0.7 miles from Joella Exley Elementary School. Within five miles are at least 8 other public schools. Its average proficiency rate of 64.8% is below the 72.6% average for nearby schools.
Locale data from NCES put Joella Exley Elementary School in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population of 250,000 or more (Suburb: Large).
Since 2020-21, enrollment has fallen 9%, from 952 to 868.
Use the discussion section to ask about homework, tutoring, and testing dates at Joella Exley Elementary School. Current and former families are welcome to add their experience.
Fort Bend County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
893,767
Census ACS
Median income
$114,041
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
50%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
217
191,372 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in KATY ISD
- Seven Lakes High SchoolHigh · 3,773 students
- Cinco Ranch High SchoolHigh · 3,740 students
- Katy High SchoolHigh · 3,543 students
- Paetow High SchoolHigh · 3,447 students
- Taylor High SchoolHigh · 3,384 students
- Jordan High SchoolHigh · 3,330 students
Other schools in KATY
- Seven Lakes High SchoolHigh · 3,773 students
- Cinco Ranch High SchoolHigh · 3,740 students
- Katy High SchoolHigh · 3,543 students
- Paetow High SchoolHigh · 3,447 students
- Taylor High SchoolHigh · 3,384 students
- Jordan High SchoolHigh · 3,330 students
Nearby schools
- Garland McMeans Junior High School0.7 mi · 1,133
- James E Williams Elementary School1.0 mi · 868
- Rodger & Ellen Beck Junior High School1.1 mi · 1,239
- Sue Creech Elementary School1.3 mi · 804
- Jeanette Hayes Elementary School1.6 mi · 515
- Edna Mae Fielder Elementary School1.7 mi · 945
Frequently asked questions
About Joella Exley Elementary SchoolWhat is the total enrollment at Joella Exley Elementary School?
Joella Exley Elementary School enrolls approximately 868 students in grades PK-05.
What grades does Joella Exley Elementary School serve?
Joella Exley Elementary School serves grades PK-05.
How many students per teacher at Joella Exley Elementary School?
Approximately 12.8:1 students per teacher at Joella Exley Elementary School.
How diverse is Joella Exley Elementary School?
Joella Exley Elementary School reports a student body of 34% White, 25% Hispanic, 8% Black, 30% Asian, 4% Two or more.
Is Joella Exley Elementary School public or private?
Joella Exley Elementary School is a public K-12 school, overseen by KATY ISD.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.