VELMA PENNY EL

VELMA PENNY EL is a medium-sized elementary-level community in LINDALE, Texas, run under LINDALE ISD. The school enrolls 517 students in grades 1 through 3.

VELMA PENNY EL is one of 6 schools operated by LINDALE ISD, a district that hosts 4,606 students overall.

In terms of who attends, VELMA PENNY EL lists that 63% of the student body identifies as White; the rest consists of 22% Hispanic, 7% multiracial, 6% Black. That mix tracks the wider county fairly closely.

Looking at school resources, The school reports having 36 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 14.4:1. The state averages around 15.1:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Around 49% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. Set against Smith County (around 64%), the school's rate is meaningfully below typical.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), VELMA PENNY EL ranks in the top 10% of Texas public schools. The BeatsExpectations model, a per-state regression of composite proficiency on FRL share, predicts schools with this student profile to land around 52.5%; VELMA PENNY EL posts 68.0%, +15.5 points above that line.

In the surrounding community, census data for Smith County shows the typical household earns roughly $74,192 per year, 29% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 8%. VELMA PENNY EL is one of 65 public schools in Smith County (combined enrollment of about 37,385 students).

Nearest neighbor: EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER, around 0.8 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 5 other public schools cluster around VELMA PENNY EL. On composite proficiency, VELMA PENNY EL comes 4th of 7 in the immediate cluster, above the nearby-schools average of 57.9%.

The campus sits in a town-center setting.

Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at VELMA PENNY EL has climbed 14%, going from 453 students in 2018 to 517 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share edged down from 72% to 63%. The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 16.1:1 in 2018 to 14.4:1 today.

On the community side, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.