Enrollment
357
Elementary
DISTRICT 515 · STATE 519
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·HOUSTON ISD·NCES 482364002554
PETERSEN EL
14404 WATERLOO DR, HOUSTON, TX 77045 · (713) 434-5630 · Harris County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY11-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL357 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
14.9:1
24 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 15.5:1 · STATE 15.1:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
96%
343 students
DISTRICT 84% · STATE 65%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade
Student demographics
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. 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
PETERSEN EL→LAWSON MIDDLE
Based on published attendance-zone data from HOUSTON ISD. Zones change; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
STAAR 2023-24 . % Meets Grade Level or AboveReading
44.0%
TX avg 51.8% . +24.0pp since 2020
Mathematics
44.0%
TX avg 42.0% . +20.0pp since 2020
What this means: On the STAAR, Texas's statewide test, about 44 of every 100 students at this school read at grade level and about 44 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Texas schools, those numbers are about 52 and 42. Reading scores are up about 24 points since 2020, while math scores are up about 20 points.
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
39.3%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
31.9%
based on TX schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+7.4pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 39% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 32% 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 →
7-year change
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
357
-100 (-22%) vs 2017
Student : Teacher
14.9:1
was 15.8:1
% White
0%
was 1%
% Hispanic
73%
was 81%
% Black
25%
was 18%
% Asian
1%
was 0%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
About PETERSEN EL
Located at 14404 WATERLOO DR, in HOUSTON, Texas, PETERSEN EL is a close-knit elementary school that serves 357 students (grades pre-K through 5), overseen by HOUSTON ISD. Compared to the state average of about 519 students per school, that is 31% leaner than typical.
HOUSTON ISD comprises 273 schools with combined enrollment of 176,727 students; PETERSEN EL is among them.
On the student-mix side, PETERSEN EL records that 73% of the student body identifies as Hispanic. Other groups include 25% Black. By comparison, Harris County as a whole is about 44% Hispanic, so the school skews visibly more Hispanic than its surroundings.
Looking at the economic backdrop, The school currently runs with 24 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 14.9:1. That tracks the state average closely. An estimated 96% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. By comparison, Harris County runs at roughly 70%, so the school's eligibility rate is meaningfully above the surrounding baseline.
With demographic context factored in, PETERSEN EL tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 31.9% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 39.3%.
In the broader community, Harris County reports that median household earnings sit near $74,983, roughly 34% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 13% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Harris County's 1205 public schools (combined enrollment of about 886,911 students), PETERSEN EL is one campus in the mix.
The closest other public school is KING EARLY CHILDHOOD CTR, roughly 0.7 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts PETERSEN EL at 2nd of 7; the average score across the group is 38.6%.
The school occupies a downtown site.
Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count edged down 22%: 457 students in 2018 compared to 357 in 2025. The Hispanic share of enrollment declined from 81% to 73% over that span.
On the community side, members of the PETERSEN EL community share and discuss science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.
Harris County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
4,838,303
Census ACS
Median income
$74,983
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
34%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
13%
Below federal line
Schools in county
1,205
886,911 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in HOUSTON ISD
- TEXAS CONNECTIONS ACADEMY AT HOUSTONCombined · 8,641 students
- BELLAIRE H SHigh · 3,216 students
- LAMAR H SHigh · 2,968 students
- WESTSIDE H SHigh · 2,729 students
- HEIGHTS H SHigh · 2,426 students
- HOUSTON MATH SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CENTERHigh · 2,396 students
Other schools in HOUSTON
- TEXAS CONNECTIONS ACADEMY AT HOUSTONCombined · 8,641 students
- NORTH SHORE SENIOR HIGHHigh · 4,284 students
- ELSIK H SHigh · 4,057 students
- SUMMER CREEK H SHigh · 3,972 students
- HASTINGS H SHigh · 3,786 students
- C E KING H SHigh · 3,716 students
Nearby schools
- KING EARLY CHILDHOOD CTR0.7 mi · 299
- MONTGOMERY EL0.7 mi · 373
- R D S P D0.8 mi · 46
- MADISON H S1.0 mi · 1,588
- ALMEDA EL1.3 mi · 707
- YES PREP - SOUTHWEST1.3 mi · 1,060
Frequently asked questions
About PETERSEN ELHow large is PETERSEN EL?
PETERSEN EL enrolls approximately 357 students in grades PK-05.
What age range does PETERSEN EL serve?
PETERSEN EL serves students from grade PK through grade 05.
How many students per teacher at PETERSEN EL?
Approximately 14.9:1 students per teacher at PETERSEN EL.
What is the racial breakdown of students at PETERSEN EL?
At PETERSEN EL, the student body is approximately 0% White, 73% Hispanic, 25% Black, 1% Asian, 0% Two or more.
Is PETERSEN EL public or private?
PETERSEN EL is a public K-12 school, overseen by HOUSTON ISD.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.