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Teachers: what resource would make the biggest difference at STEM ACADEMY AT POLSER EL this year?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
506
Elementary
DISTRICT 527 · STATE 519
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·LEWISVILLE ISD·NCES 482730006981
STEM Academy at Polser Elementary School
1520 POLSER RD, CARROLLTON, TX 75010 · (469) 713-5978 · Denton County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY21-SUBURBREGULAR SCHOOL506 STUDENTS
B+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 72% 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.
- BBeats 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
11.5:1
44 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 13.0:1 · STATE 15.1:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
34%
173 students
DISTRICT 40% · 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 | 58 | 11% |
| Kindergarten | 74 | 15% |
| Grade 1 | 89 | 18% |
| Grade 2 | 75 | 15% |
| Grade 3 | 75 | 15% |
| Grade 4 | 78 | 15% |
| Grade 5 | 57 | 11% |
This year's kindergarten class (74) is 30% larger than its 5th grade class (57).
Student demographics
76%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 74% · 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 2024-25 . % Meets Grade Level or AboveReading
76.0%
TX avg 53.3% . +31.0pp since 2020
Mathematics
63.0%
TX avg 43.3% . +22.0pp since 2020
What this means: On the STAAR, Texas's statewide test, about 76 of every 100 students at this school read at grade level and about 63 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Texas schools, those numbers are about 53 and 43. Reading scores are up about 31 points since 2020, while math scores are up about 22 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Masters Grade Level | Meets Grade Level | Approaches Grade Level | Did Not Meet Grade Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 39.0% | 37.0% | 15.0% | 9.0% |
| Mathematics | 36.0% | 27.0% | 20.0% | 17.0% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 76.0% | 63.0% |
| 2023-24 | 68.0% | 58.0% |
| 2022-23 | 73.0% | 66.0% |
| 2021-22 | 58.0% | 73.0% |
| 2020-21 | 45.0% | 41.0% |
% 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
60.0%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
59.1%
based on TX schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+0.9pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 60% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 59% 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 STEM Academy at Polser Elementary School
STEM Academy at Polser Elementary School's state test result (60.0% proficient) is higher than 5 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEM Academy at Polser Elementary School this school | 506 | 34.2% | 60.0% |
| Hickey Elementary School PLANO | 497 | 36.6% | 56.6% |
| McCall Elementary School PLANO | 490 | 37.1% | 56.7% |
| Austin Parkway Elementary School SUGAR LAND | 574 | 32.6% | 55.6% |
| Colony Bend Elementary School SUGAR LAND | 526 | 41.3% | 59.5% |
| Shawnee Trail Elementary School FRISCO | 494 | 29.6% | 49.2% |
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 STEM Academy at Polser Elementary School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Texas | In Denton County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 60.0% | #765 of 4,401 | #50 of 136 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 63.0% | #781 of 4,466 ▲ 221 | #47 of 138 ▲ 13 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 76.0% | #429 of 4,466 ▲ 424 | #35 of 138 ▲ 23 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +4.0pp | #2,289 of 3,998 | #70 of 129 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 506 | #2,478 of 4,938 | #99 of 145 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 11.5:1 | #219 of 4,622 | #8 of 141 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 76.4% | #55 of 4,628 | #8 of 141 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 34.2% | #4,126 of 4,789 | #80 of 143 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +28.8% | #275 of 1,307 | #11 of 48 |
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
506
+56 (+12%) vs 2020
-23% since 2000-01, when it was 655
Student : Teacher
11.5:1
was 11.3:1
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 | 506 | 44 | 11.5:1 | 34% (173) |
| 2023-24 | 500 | 42.9 | 11.7:1 | 41% (206) |
| 2022-23 | 479 | 40.3 | 11.9:1 | 45% (217) |
| 2020-21 | 450 | 40 | 11.3:1 | 39% (176) |
| 2017-18 | 393 | 33.6 | 11.7:1 | 49% (191) |
| 2015-16 | 440 | 32 | 13.8:1 | 48% (211) |
| 2010-11 | 447 | 35 | 12.8:1 | 35% (158) |
| 2000-01 | 655 | 40 | 16.4:1 | 9% (60) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for STEM Academy at Polser Elementary School.
Since 2017-18: students up 29% (393 to 506); teachers up 31% (33.6 to 44).
About STEM Academy at Polser Elementary School
Families in CARROLLTON, Texas, are served by STEM Academy at Polser Elementary School, a medium-sized elementary school. The school's enrollment of 506 students covers pre-K through 5.
LEWISVILLE ISD operates 62 schools. Combined enrollment is 47,876 students.
Enrollment at STEM Academy at Polser Elementary School is mixed, with Asian students the largest group at 33%. The school is also 23% Hispanic, 22% White, 16% Black, and 6% multiracial. That is higher than the 11% Asian share among all Denton County residents. By the diversity index, STEM Academy at Polser Elementary School comes in at 76%.
Teachers at STEM Academy at Polser Elementary School total 44 full-time equivalents, and the ratio is 11.5:1. For comparison, elementary schools in Texas average 15.1:1. Federal records put free or reduced-price lunch eligibility at 34%. That is close to the 35% average for public schools in Denton County.
allk12 grades STEM Academy at Polser Elementary School a B+. The grade compares the school only with Texas public elementary schools, because each state gives its own test.
On a poverty-adjusted basis, STEM Academy at Polser Elementary School falls in the middle 80% of Texas schools: 60.0% actual against 59.1% predicted.
In Denton County (population about 979,561), median household income is about $111,498, 49% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 4% of residents live below the federal poverty line. A total of 267 public schools operate in Denton County, serving about 175,222 students.
The closest other public school is Castle Hills Elementary School, about 0.5 miles away. There are at least 8 other public schools within five miles. Nearby schools average 57.3% on proficiency, and STEM Academy at Polser Elementary School is above that at 60.0%.
Its location is classified as Suburb: Large by the National Center for Education Statistics.
The student count in 2024-25 was 506, 12% above the 450 of 2020-21.
The STEM Academy at Polser Elementary School community page is open for posts about enrollment questions, class placement, and PTA news. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.
Denton County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
979,561
Census ACS
Median income
$111,498
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
49%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
4%
Below federal line
Schools in county
267
175,222 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in LEWISVILLE ISD
- Lewisville High SchoolHigh · 4,001 students
- Hebron High SchoolHigh · 3,668 students
- Flower Mound High SchoolHigh · 3,426 students
- Marcus High SchoolHigh · 2,998 students
- The Colony High SchoolHigh · 1,803 students
- Killian Middle SchoolMiddle · 997 students
Other schools in CARROLLTON
- Hebron High SchoolHigh · 3,668 students
- Turner High SchoolHigh · 2,035 students
- Smith High SchoolHigh · 1,971 students
- Creekview High SchoolHigh · 1,686 students
- Polk Middle SchoolMiddle · 974 students
- Arbor Creek Middle SchoolMiddle · 940 students
Nearby schools
- Castle Hills Elementary School0.5 mi · 604
- Homestead Elementary School0.9 mi · 470
- Harmony Science Academy - Carrollton1.3 mi · 564
- Harmony School of Innovation - Carrollton1.3 mi · 444
- Coyote Ridge Elementary School1.3 mi · 478
- Rosemeade Elementary School1.3 mi · 360
Frequently asked questions
About STEM Academy at Polser Elementary SchoolWhat is the total enrollment at STEM Academy at Polser Elementary School?
STEM Academy at Polser Elementary School enrolls approximately 506 students in grades PK-05.
Is STEM Academy at Polser Elementary School an elementary, middle, or high school?
STEM Academy at Polser Elementary School is an elementary school covering grades PK-05.
What is the student-teacher ratio at STEM Academy at Polser Elementary School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at STEM Academy at Polser Elementary School is approximately 11.5:1 (44 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at STEM Academy at Polser Elementary School?
At STEM Academy at Polser Elementary School, the student body is approximately 22% White, 23% Hispanic, 16% Black, 33% Asian, 6% Two or more.
What district is STEM Academy at Polser Elementary School in?
STEM Academy at Polser Elementary School is part of LEWISVILLE ISD.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.