gifted and talented education

These 17 Dallas-Fort Worth K-8 schools rank among Texas' best for 2025

Congratulations are in order for the Timberwolves.

William B. Travis Academy/Vanguard for the Academically Talented and Gifted

Several Dallas-Fort Worth elementary and middle schools are at the top of the class when it comes to educating and preparing the next generation for a successful life and career, according to U.S. News & World Report's just-released list of 2025 Elementary and Middle Schools Rankings.

One such school – William B. Travis Academy/Vanguard for the Academically Talented and Gifted in Dallas ISD – has taken the lead over the rest of the state as the No. 2 best elementary and middle school in Texas for 2025.

U.S. News ranked over 79,000 public schools on the state and district level using data from the U.S. Department of Education. Schools were analyzed based on their students' proficiencies in mathematics and reading/language arts on state assessments, and tie-breakers were decided based on student-teacher ratios.

Texas' best elementary schools for 2025
William B. Travis Academy came second to J Kawas Elementary in Laredo in the Texas elementary school rankings. According to U.S. News, this Dallas public school has a total enrollment of 502 students, with 94 percent of the student population scoring "at or above the proficient level" in mathematics, and 100 percent proficiency in reading. The school has a student-teacher ratio of 16:1, with 31 full-time teachers and 1 full-time school counselor.

Sudie L. Williams Talented and Gifted Academy also ranked among the statewide top 10, coming in at No. 6 with a total enrollment of 429 students. 89 percent of Sudie students are proficient in math, and 95 are proficient in reading, U.S. News said.

"Compared with the district, the school did better in math and better in reading, according to this [test score] metric," U.S. News said in the school's profile. "In Dallas Independent School District, 46 percent of students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 40 percent tested at or above that level for math."

Sudie L. Williams also ranked No. 5 in the statewide rankings for the best middle schools for 2025.

Rounding out the top 10 best Texas elementary schools is Carroll ISD's Robert H. Rockenbaugh Elementary in Southlake. Ranking No. 9, this elementary school has 531 students, 92 percent of which are proficient in both math and reading. U.S. Newssays the school's student-teacher ratio is 12:1, which is better than the district-wide student-teacher ratio. Robert H. Rockenbaugh employs 42 full-time teachers and one full-time counselor.

Six additional Dallas-Fort Worth schools ranked among the top 25 best elementary schools in Texas, including:

No. 11 – Lakewood Elementary, Dallas ISD
No. 12 – Overton Park Elementary, Fort Worth ISD
No. 14 – Old Union Elementary, Southlake, Carroll ISD
No. 17 – School for the Talented and Gifted in Pleasant Grove, Dallas ISD
No. 21 – Carroll Elementary, Southlake, Carroll ISD
No. 24 – Bradfield Elementary, Dallas, Highland Park ISD

The best middle schools in Texas
Though the Austin campus of BASIS Texas Charter School was crowned the No. 1 middle school in Texas for 2025, five Dallas-Fort Worth middle schools dominated the top 10.

Following Dallas' William B. Travis Academy, Lawler Middle School in Frisco ISD ranked No. 3 statewide with 1,026 students, 61 full-time teachers, and two full-time school counselors. Lawler's student-teacher ratio is 17:1, and 93 percent of students are proficient in math, and 92 percent in reading. The school performed significantly better than the rest of Frisco ISD, U.S. News said.

"In Frisco Independent School District, 75 percent of students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 65 percent tested at or above that level for math," U.S. News said in Lawler's profile. "Lawler Middle [also] did better in math and better in reading in this metric compared with students across the state. In Texas, 51 percent of students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 41 percent tested at or above that level for math."

Other Dallas-Fort Worth middle schools that were ranked among the 25 best in Texas are:

No. 4 – School for the Talented & Gifted in Pleasant Grove, Dallas ISD
No. 6 – George Dawson Middle School, Southlake, Carroll ISD
No. 7 – Willow Springs Middle School, Lucas, Lovejoy ISD
No. 12 – Carroll Middle School, Southlake, Carroll ISD
No. 13 – iUniversity Prep, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD
No. 14 – Fowler Middle School, Plano, Frisco ISD
No. 16 – Henry W. Longfellow Career Exploration Academy, Dallas ISD
No. 20 – Nelson Middle School, Frisco ISD

"The 2025 Best Elementary and Middle Schools rankings offer parents a way to evaluate how schools are providing a high-quality education and preparing students for future success," said LaMont Jones, Ed.D., the managing editor for Education at U.S. News. "The data empowers families and communities to advocate for their children’s education. Research continues to indicate that how students perform academically at these early grade levels is a big factor in their success in high school and beyond."

dallas fort worth schools rankings us news & world report

population explosion

7 booming Dallas neighbors see biggest population growth in U.S.

City of Denton, TX - City Hall/Facebook

Denton had the biggest population growth rate in Dallas-Fort Worth from 2022 to 2023.

Denton, Mansfield, McKinney, and more North Texas cities are among the fastest-growing places in the country, according to a new population growth study by SmartAsset.

The report, "These Cities Saw the Largest Growth in Population – 2024 Study," examined U.S. Census population estimates for 2023, 2022, and 2018 to determine one-year and five-year population changes for 610 U.S. cities with populations of at least 65,000 residents in 2023 (where the most recent data was available).

Silver Spring, Maryland had the No. 1 biggest population boom nationwide from 2022 to 2023, SmartAsset found. The Washington, D.C. suburb grew 12.86 percent year-over-year, bringing the city's total population from 75,313 to 84,996 residents in 2023.

Denton took the lead over all other Dallas-Fort Worth cities with the 16th-largest one-year population growth rate in the U.S., at 5.32 percent. Denton gained over 8,000 residents from 2022 to 2023, bringing the city's total population to 158,361 in 2023.

This should come as no surprise to those who already live in Denton, who may know their hometown was ranked one of the safest suburbs in America.

Mansfield trailed close behind with a 4.16 percent increase in population during that same period, which landed it the No. 26 spot in the one-year population change analysis. The city gained 3,189 new residents in that time, adding up to a total population of 79,775 residents in 2023.

McKinney appeared farther down the list as No. 49 with just a 2.89 percent one-year growth rate from 2022 to 2023, and a total population of 213,504 residents.

Only four other Dallas-Fort Worth cities appeared in the top 100 fastest growing cities in the U.S. from 2022 to 2023:

No. 61 – Frisco (2.48 percent increase)
No. 72 – Rowlett (2.48 percent)
No. 73 – Lewisville (2.17 percent)
No. 99 – Flower Mound (1.73 percent)

The report suggested major population shifts in communities like Denton or Mansfield can result in "a variety of interwoven economic and social impacts."

"The magnitude of the population change can affect demand for businesses and services, which in turn may impact costs – or even the availability of such amenities," the report's author wrote. "Similarly, the relative age of the population can determine the strength or weakness of the local job market, as well as have an impact on local culture, economic trajectory, tax base and more."

Fast-growing cities elsewhere in Texas
Texas cities dominated the top 10 list of cities where population grew the most from 2022 to 2023.

New Braunfels, a San Antonio suburb, ranked No. 2 nationally with an 12.49 percent one-year population boom, and a 29.68 percent growth rate from 2018 to 2023. The city gained 12,318 new residents in that time, adding up to a total population of 110,961 residents in 2023.

Just two spots behind New Braunfels is the North Austin suburb of Georgetown (No. 4), which grew 11.34 percent to 96,317 residents in 2023. According to the report's five-year population change analysis, Georgetown ranked seventh with a 29.85 percent growth rate.

The Houston suburbs of Atascocita and Conroe ranked No. 5 and No. 9, respectively. Atascocita's total population grew to 119,502 residents in 2023, which represented a 11.03 percent growth rate from 2022, and a whopping 38.56 percent population increase since 2018. Conroe's 6.73 percent one-year population increase paled in comparison, but the city grew 23.49 percent during the five-year period from 2018 to 2023.

The top 10 U.S. cities where population grew the most from 2022 to 2023 are:

No. 1 – Silver Spring, Maryland
No. 2 – New Braunfels, Texas
No. 3 – Glen Burnie, Maryland
No. 4 – Georgetown, Texas
No. 5 – Atascocita, Texas
No. 6 – Pine Hills, Florida
No. 7 – Elgin, Illinois
No. 8 – Lehi, Utah
No. 9 – Conroe, Texas
No. 10 – Dale City, Virginia

population growth reports smartasset dallas fort worth denton suburbs mansfield

gifted and talented education

These 17 Dallas-Fort Worth K-8 schools rank among Texas' best for 2025

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