Enrollment
216
Combined
STATE 485
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·PENELOPE ISD·NCES 483456003885
Penelope School
309 AVE D, PENELOPE, TX 76676 · (254) 533-2215 · Hill County
GRADES PK–12COMBINED42-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL216 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
11.8:1
18 FTE teachers
STATE 11.7:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
50%
109 students
STATE 65%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other combined schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 11 | 5% |
| Kindergarten | 18 | 8% |
| Grade 1 | 11 | 5% |
| Grade 2 | 17 | 8% |
| Grade 3 | 19 | 9% |
| Grade 4 | 11 | 5% |
| Grade 5 | 18 | 8% |
| Grade 6 | 17 | 8% |
| Grade 7 | 14 | 6% |
| Grade 8 | 18 | 8% |
| Grade 9 | 17 | 8% |
| Grade 10 | 17 | 8% |
| Grade 11 | 15 | 7% |
| Grade 12 | 13 | 6% |
This year's kindergarten class (18) is about the same size as its 8th grade class (18).
Student demographics
52%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
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
57.0%
TX avg 54.5% . +24.0pp since 2020
Mathematics
50.0%
TX avg 45.3% . +37.0pp since 2020
What this means: On the STAAR, Texas's statewide test, about 57 of every 100 students at this school read at grade level and about 50 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Texas schools, those numbers are about 55 and 45. Reading scores are up about 24 points since 2020, while math scores are up about 37 points.
Performance levels, 2025-26
| Subject | Masters Grade Level | Meets Grade Level | Approaches Grade Level | Did Not Meet Grade Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 20.0% | 37.0% | 22.0% | 21.0% |
| Mathematics | 21.0% | 29.0% | 23.0% | 27.0% |
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 | 57.0% | 50.0% |
| 2024-25 | 53.0% | 47.0% |
| 2023-24 | 45.0% | 27.0% |
| 2022-23 | 33.0% | 30.0% |
| 2021-22 | 19.0% | 17.0% |
| 2020-21 | 33.0% | 13.0% |
% 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
44.1%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
52.1%
based on TX schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-8.1pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 44% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 52% 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 Penelope School
Penelope School's state test result (44.1% proficient) is higher than 2 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penelope School this school | 216 | 50.5% | 44.1% |
| Silverton School SILVERTON | 204 | 50.5% | 59.8% |
| Wellman-Union School WELLMAN | 248 | 49.2% | 43.9% |
| Spur School SPUR | 192 | 50.0% | 45.4% |
| Bynum School BYNUM | 187 | 46.5% | 47.8% |
| Hermleigh School HERMLEIGH | 258 | 46.1% | 35.0% |
Matched among Texas K-12 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 Penelope School ranks
Among K-12 schools| Measure | This school | In Texas | In Hill County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 44.1% | #100 of 211 | #5 of 7 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 50.0% | #68 of 218 ▲ 6 | #3 of 7 ▲ 1 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 57.0% | #94 of 218 ▲ 25 | #4 of 7 no change |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +22.0pp | #26 of 134 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 216 | #134 of 280 | #5 of 7 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 11.8:1 | #79 of 141 | N/A |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 51.7% | #50 of 144 | N/A |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 50.5% | #150 of 226 | #3 of 7 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -8.9% | #36 of 60 | N/A |
Ranked against other public K-12 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
216
+6 (+3%) vs 2020
+71% since 1990-91, when it was 126
Student : Teacher
11.8:1
was 10.5:1
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 | 216 | 18.2 | 11.8:1 | 50% (109) |
| 2023-24 | 212 | 19 | 11.2:1 | 49% (104) |
| 2022-23 | 202 | 21 | 9.6:1 | 57% (115) |
| 2020-21 | 210 | 20 | 10.5:1 | 67% (140) |
| 2017-18 | 237 | 18.8 | 12.6:1 | 68% (160) |
| 2015-16 | 187 | 19 | 9.8:1 | 75% (140) |
| 2010-11 | 180 | 21 | 8.6:1 | 76% (136) |
| 2000-01 | 163 | 17 | 9.6:1 | 62% (101) |
| 1990-91 | 126 | 12 | 10.5:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Penelope School.
Since 2017-18: students down 9% (237 to 216); teachers down 3% (18.8 to 18.2).
About Penelope School
Penelope School, located in PENELOPE, Texas, is a small school serving multiple grade levels. The school teaches pre-K through 12 and enrolls 216 students. That is 55% below the average of about 485 students for combined schools in Texas.
Penelope School reports to PENELOPE ISD.
The largest group at Penelope School is White students, at 59%. Enrollment also includes 36% Hispanic and 3% Black. Among people living in Hill County, the White share is about 75%. The diversity index for Penelope School is 52%. For US public schools as a whole it is 70%.
Penelope School reports a ratio of 11.8 students per teacher, from 18.2 full-time-equivalent teachers. The average ratio among combined schools in Texas is similar, at 11.7:1. Student poverty is often measured by lunch eligibility; at Penelope School, 50% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The gap from the 64% average for public schools in Hill County is 14 points.
Penelope School's average proficiency rate across its state test results of 44.1% is 8.1 points below the 52.1% the model predicts from its lunch-eligibility share.
For Hill County, Census Bureau data show median household income comes to about $64,591, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 18%, and about 11% of people live in poverty. There are 34 public schools in the county, enrolling about 6,430, Penelope School among them.
Penelope School's nearest public school is Malone Elementary School (about 4.6 miles). There are at least 8 more public schools inside ten miles. Of the 9 nearby schools with scores, including this one, Penelope School is 5th on average proficiency.
The NCES locale for Penelope School is Rural: Distant, which covers schools in rural territory some distance from an urban area.
Federal enrollment counts increased from 210 (2020-21) to 216 (2024-25). From 2020-21 to 2024-25, the ratio increased from 10.5:1 to 11.8:1.
People can post here about open houses, carpools, and field trips and other school topics. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to post.
Hill County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
37,328
Census ACS
Median income
$64,591
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
18%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
11%
Below federal line
Schools in county
34
6,430 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Nearby schools
- Malone Elementary School4.6 mi · 63
- Hubbard Elementary School7.2 mi · 214
- Hubbard High School7.2 mi · 203
- Mount Calm ISD7.5 mi · 168
- Bynum School8.4 mi · 187
- Abbott School8.7 mi · 284
Frequently asked questions
About Penelope SchoolHow many students attend Penelope School?
Penelope School enrolls approximately 216 students in grades PK-12.
Is Penelope School an elementary, middle, or high school?
Penelope School is a combined-grade school covering grades PK-12.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Penelope School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Penelope School is approximately 11.8:1 (18 FTE teachers).
What is the student diversity at Penelope School?
Student demographics at Penelope School are roughly 59% White, 36% Hispanic, 3% Black, 2% Two or more.
What district is Penelope School in?
Penelope School is part of PENELOPE ISD.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.