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What do students at VARNETT CHARTER SCHOOL actually talk about outside of class?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
530
Elementary
DISTRICT 386 · STATE 519
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·THE VARNETT PUBLIC SCHOOL·NCES 480007307913
Varnett Charter School
5025 S WILLOW DR, HOUSTON, TX 77035 · (713) 723-4699 · Harris County
GRADES PK–08ELEMENTARY11-CITYCHARTERTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL530 STUDENTS
C-
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 19% of Texas public elementary schools
- DTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- C+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
19.1:1
28 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 16.7:1 · STATE 15.1:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
96%
508 students
DISTRICT 89% · 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 | 45 | 8% |
| Kindergarten | 53 | 10% |
| Grade 1 | 64 | 12% |
| Grade 2 | 60 | 11% |
| Grade 3 | 49 | 9% |
| Grade 4 | 51 | 10% |
| Grade 5 | 53 | 10% |
| Grade 6 | 58 | 11% |
| Grade 7 | 46 | 9% |
| Grade 8 | 51 | 10% |
This year's kindergarten class (53) is about the same size as its 8th grade class (51).
Student demographics
43%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 37% · 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
36.0%
TX avg 54.5% . +12.0pp since 2020
Mathematics
27.0%
TX avg 45.3% . +7.0pp since 2020
What this means: On the STAAR, Texas's statewide test, about 36 of every 100 students at this school read at grade level and about 27 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 7 points.
Performance levels, 2025-26
| Subject | Masters Grade Level | Meets Grade Level | Approaches Grade Level | Did Not Meet Grade Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 17.0% | 19.0% | 23.0% | 41.0% |
| Mathematics | 7.0% | 20.0% | 24.0% | 49.0% |
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 | 36.0% | 27.0% |
| 2024-25 | 35.0% | 35.0% |
| 2023-24 | 35.0% | 29.0% |
| 2022-23 | 28.0% | 30.0% |
| 2021-22 | 40.0% | 34.0% |
| 2020-21 | 24.0% | 20.0% |
% 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
28.9%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
32.8%
based on TX schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-3.9pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 29% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 33% 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 Varnett Charter School
Varnett Charter School's state test result (28.9% proficient) is higher than 2 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Varnett Charter School this school | 530 | 95.8% | 28.9% |
| Ramey Elementary School TYLER | 517 | 93.6% | 33.2% |
| Wilmer-Hutchins Elementary School DALLAS | 563 | 96.4% | 46.5% |
| IDEA Najim Academy SAN ANTONIO | 540 | 93.5% | 26.5% |
| Eladio R Martinez Learning Center DALLAS | 547 | 99.3% | 34.6% |
| Shearn Elementary School HOUSTON | 470 | 95.3% | 22.3% |
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 Varnett Charter School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Texas | In Harris County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 28.9% | #3,763 of 4,401 | #542 of 624 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 27.0% | #4,084 of 4,466 ▼ 865 | #595 of 625 ▼ 137 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 36.0% | #3,959 of 4,466 ▼ 90 | #567 of 625 ▼ 15 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +2.5pp | #2,452 of 3,998 | #389 of 603 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 530 | #2,227 of 4,938 | #436 of 682 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 19.1:1 | #4,369 of 4,622 | #622 of 657 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 42.6% | #2,922 of 4,628 | #401 of 657 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 95.8% | #400 of 4,789 | #120 of 671 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -6.0% | #2,383 of 2,838 | #380 of 441 |
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
530
-60 (-10%) vs 2020
-15% since 2000-01, when it was 626
Student : Teacher
19.1:1
was 22.7:1
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 | 530 | 27.8 | 19.1:1 | 96% (508) |
| 2023-24 | 501 | 28.8 | 17.4:1 | 98% (493) |
| 2022-23 | 514 | 23.9 | 21.5:1 | 97% (501) |
| 2020-21 | 590 | 26 | 22.7:1 | 96% (569) |
| 2017-18 | 564 | 29.6 | 19.0:1 | 93% (523) |
| 2015-16 | 780 | 36 | 21.7:1 | 92% (717) |
| 2010-11 | 792 | 39 | 20.3:1 | 98% (776) |
| 2000-01 | 626 | 32 | 19.6:1 | 11% (71) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Varnett Charter School.
Since 2017-18: students down 6% (564 to 530); teachers down 6% (29.6 to 27.8).
About Varnett Charter School
Varnett Charter School is a medium-sized elementary school located in HOUSTON, Texas. It covers pre-K through 8, with a total enrollment of 530 students.
THE VARNETT PUBLIC SCHOOL has 1,159 students spread across 3 schools.
Varnett Charter School is 70% Hispanic by enrollment. The rest of enrollment is 29% Black. Census estimates put the Hispanic share of Harris County's population at about 44%. The school's diversity index is 43%, meaning two students picked at random have a 43% chance of belonging to different racial or ethnic groups.
The school employs the equivalent of 27.8 full-time teachers, for a ratio of 19.1:1. That is higher than the 15.1:1 average for elementary schools in Texas. The free or reduced-price lunch share, often used to gauge student poverty, is 96%. On average, public schools in Harris County report 70%.
Measured against Texas public elementary schools, Varnett Charter School receives a C-. The grade weighs proficiency most heavily, then how results compare with what the school's low-income share predicts, then the three-year change.
On a poverty-adjusted basis, Varnett Charter School falls in the middle 80% of Texas schools: 28.9% actual against 32.8% predicted.
County data help place the school in context: in Harris County, the median household income is $74,983, roughly 34% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and about 13% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Harris County is home to 1,205 public schools and about 886,911 public school students.
The closest public school to Varnett Charter School is Meyerland Middle School, about 1.0 miles away. Counting only straight-line distance, at least 8 other public schools are within five miles. Its average proficiency rate of 28.9% is below the 46.9% average for nearby schools.
In the federal locale system, Varnett Charter School is coded City: Large, for schools inside a principal city with a population of 250,000 or more. Varnett Charter School operates as a charter school, which is publicly funded and run under a charter.
2024-25 enrollment was 530, a 10% decrease from 590 in 2020-21. The ratio was 22.7:1 in 2020-21 and 19.1:1 in 2024-25.
Topics for discussion here include science fairs, picture day, and bus routes. 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 THE VARNETT PUBLIC SCHOOL
- The Varnett School - NortheastElementary · 354 students
- The Varnett School - EastElementary · 275 students
Other schools in HOUSTON
- Texas Connections Academy at HoustonCombined · 8,641 students
- North Shore Senior HighHigh · 4,284 students
- Elsik High SchoolHigh · 4,057 students
- Summer Creek High SchoolHigh · 3,972 students
- Hastings High SchoolHigh · 3,786 students
- C E King High SchoolHigh · 3,716 students
Nearby schools
- Meyerland Middle School1.0 mi · 1,166
- Red Elementary School1.0 mi · 530
- Westbury High School1.0 mi · 1,991
- Parker Elementary School1.2 mi · 924
- Anderson Elementary School1.4 mi · 585
- Harmony Virtual Academy1.5 mi · 260
Frequently asked questions
About Varnett Charter SchoolWhat is the total enrollment at Varnett Charter School?
Varnett Charter School enrolls approximately 530 students in grades PK-08.
What grades does Varnett Charter School serve?
Varnett Charter School serves grades PK-08.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Varnett Charter School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Varnett Charter School is approximately 19.1:1 (28 FTE teachers).
How diverse is Varnett Charter School?
Varnett Charter School reports a student body of 0% White, 70% Hispanic, 29% Black, 0% Asian, 1% Two or more.
Who oversees Varnett Charter School?
Varnett Charter School is overseen by THE VARNETT PUBLIC SCHOOL in Harris County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.