A Longview ISD campus has been named a Top 5 elementary school in Texas by the U.S. News & World Report’s first-ever ranking of the state's best elementary schools.
Hudson PEP Elementary is ranked 5th of 4,446 elementary schools in the entire state, and the only Top 10 elementary campus located in a largely economically-disadvantaged community. Not only that, but Hudson PEP was ranked the No. 2 magnet elementary in Texas, second only to the exclusive William B. Travis Vanguard Academy in Dallas ISD.
Mrs. Sue Wilson, Principal of Hudson PEP Elementary, lauded the excellent educators on her campus who help create such a loving and high-achieving culture of excellence.
'It is an honor to work with master teachers that strive to ensure each and every student masters the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills,' she said. 'The teachers are dedicated, our students are outstanding, and the parents/community work with us as partners in their child's education.'
Mrs. Wilson added that, in addition to teaching to the Texas standards, Hudson PEP is in the process of becoming an International Baccalaureate-certified campus.
'I love coming to school every day in a climate that supports children,' she said. 'It is exciting to see teachers who want to improve on teaching and learning, and are always seeking to learn new ways to deliver instruction.'
With a student enrollment of 596 students in grades 1st through 5th, as of their reporting, U.S. News notes that the school’s minority student enrollment is 56 percent, the highest minority population among the other schools in the Top 10, with 49 percent of students classified as economically disadvantaged.
U.S. News & World Report cited 95 percent of Hudson PEP students scoring at or above the proficient level for math and 89 percent scoring at or above that level for reading, as key components to the campus's overall score.
LISD Superintendent Dr. James Wilcox praised the culture of excellence that exists across the board at Hudson PEP.
'It's a testament to the quality leadership of Mrs. Sue Wilson and her administrative team, her many excellent teachers, and the tremendous community of families and local stakeholders that makes this possible,' he said. 'While we've always known that Hudson PEP is the elite elementary campus of East Texas, it's very rewarding to see that reputation extends to the entire state.'
According to U.S. News, the 10 best elementary schools in the state of Texas are:
- William B. Travis Academy (Dallas ISD)
- Windsor Park Elementary (Corpus Christi ISD)
- Old Union Elementary (Carroll ISD)
- Carroll Elementary (Carroll ISD)
- Hudson PEP Elementary (Longview ISD)
- Sudie L. Williams Academy (Dallas ISD)
- Canyon Creek Elementary (Round Rock ISD)
- Carver Center (Midland ISD)
- Cactus Ranch Elementary (Round Rock ISD)
- Creekside Forest Elementary (Tomball ISD)
Other LISD elementary campuses receiving grades from the publication were Ned E. Williams (696th), Bramlette (890th), the former South Ward campus now known as Bailey (2,081th), JL Everhart (2,207th), Ware (2,945), and Johnston-McQueen (3,275th). East Texas Montessori Prep Academy did not receive a ranking, as it is only a campus for Pre-K and Kindergarten classes.
Unlike its annual list of the country’s best high schools, U.S. News & World Report didn’t come up with a national ranking of elementary schools. Rather, it published a ranking for each state.
Scoring for the statewide rankings was largely based on how students performed on the state assessments for mathematics and reading/language arts. U.S. News used data from the U.S. Department of Education for the 2018-2019 academic school year, avoiding the recent impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic on students.
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