quality education

Dallas elementary school ranks No. 2 in Texas for 2027, per U.S. News

Dallas ISD's Sudie L. Williams Talented and Gifted Academy is the No. 1 best elementary school in Dallas-Fort Worth, and it ranks No. 2 statewide.

Sudie L. Williams Talented and Gifted Academy

Twenty Dallas-Fort Worth elementary and middle schools are being hailed as the most brilliant beacons of Texas early education in U.S. News and World Report's new list ranking the best K-8 schools in the Lone Star State for 2027.

One exemplary Dallas ISD school, Sudie L. Williams Talented and Gifted Academy, leads the way as the No. 2 best elementary school and the No. 4 best middle school statewide.

U.S. News' annual Best Elementary and Middle Schools rankings analyzed over 70,000 public schools on the state and district level using publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education. Schools were analyzed based on students' proficiency in mathematics and reading while accounting "for student background and absolute performance on state assessments." To break ties in overall scores, schools with a lower student-teacher ratio prevailed.

"By incorporating direct state data across all proficiency levels, the 2027 rankings offer a richer, more complete picture of how elementary and middle schools are driving student growth," said Eric Brooks, U.S. News director of education data analysis. "This refined approach gives families, educators and community leaders an even clearer view of academic achievement, helping them identify standard-setting schools and support continued success for all students."

Sudie TAG and William B. Travis Academy/Vanguard for the Academically Talented and Gifted were the only two Dallas ISD schools that ranked among the statewide top 10 elementary schools for 2027. Travis TAG ranked as the No. 5 best elementary school in Texas this year, down one spot from it's No. 4 ranking last year, and it ranked No. 2 among the best Texas middle schools.

Grand Prairie ISD's School for the Highly Gifted made a stunning debut onto the 2027 list as the No. 1 best charter elementary and middle school in Texas, and simultaneously ranked as the No. 3 best elementary and middle school in Texas overall. It was unranked across all categories last year.

Dallas ISD's Bradfield Elementary also debuted as No. 23 statewide this year, after being unranked the year before.

Beverly Cheatham Elementary in Allen ISD skyrocketed into the statewide top 25 this year after ranking 287th last year. It claimed the No. 25 spot, surpassing Carroll ISD's Old Union Elementary into No. 26 in an eight-place demotion from last year's standing.

The other Dallas-Fort Worth schools that appeared among the top 25 best elementary schools in Texas include:

No. 12 – Robert H. Rockenbaugh Elementary, Carroll ISD (up from No. 17 last year)
No. 17 – Talley Elementary, Frisco ISD (up from No. 72 last year)
No. 18 – Wyatt Elementary, Plano ISD (up from No. 72 last year)
No. 22 – Overton Park Elementary, Fort Worth ISD (down from No. 11 last year)
No. 24 – Kimberlin Academy for Excellence, Garland ISD (up from No. 44 last year)

Among the best middle schools in Texas, two Frisco ISD schools ranked among the top 10: Lawler Middle School in Frisco (No. 6) and Fowler Middle School in Plano (No. 8). Dallas ISD's Rosemont Upper Campus landed at No. 9 statewide after ranking 35th last year.

Seven more DFW middle schools ranked among Texas' top 25 for 2027:

No. 11 – George B. Dealey Montessori Academy (up from No. 16 last year)
No. 12 – Rice Middle School, Plano ISD (up from No. 17 last year)
No. 14 – School for the Talented and Gifted in Pleasant Grove, Dallas ISD (down from No. 6 last year)
No. 16 – Nelson Middle School, Frisco ISD (down from No. 15 last year)
No. 20 – Irma Rangel Young Women's Leadership School, Dallas ISD (up from No. 47 last year)
No. 21 – Coppell Middle School West, Coppell ISD (up from No. 48 last year)
No. 22 – Trinity Heights Gifted and Talented School, Dallas ISD (up from No. 50 last year)

Four DFW schools that previously ranked in the top 10 last year but have since dropped in the 2027 rankings are: Carroll ISD's George Dawson Middle School (No. 41, down from No. 5) and Carroll Middle School (No. 27, down from No. 7); Lovejoy ISD's Willow Springs Middle School (No. 74, down from No. 8); and Henry W. Longfellow Career Exploration Academy in Dallas ISD (No. 42, down from No. 9).

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Landing Soon

New air taxi network to land at major Dallas-Fort Worth airports in 2027

Courtesy photo

Archer will launch air taxi networks across Texas in 2027.

California-based aerospace company Archer Aviation is bringing its air-taxi system to the “Texas triangle” of Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and Austin in 2027.

The zero-emission electric air taxi networks will use Archer’s Midnight air taxi to “turn 60- to 90-minute drives to major airports, business districts and major destinations into 10- to 20-minute flights,” the company said in a news release. Archer plans to begin flights in the Texas triangle next year.

The Midnight air taxi is an all-electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. It can carry four passengers and a pilot and is designed for consecutive flights of about 20 miles.

Archer cites the Texas triangle as one of the busiest and fastest-growing “megaregions” in the country, due to its proximity to coastal regions, major airports, and a number of business districts.

“Texas is setting the bar for America’s leadership in the next generation of aviation,” Adam Goldstein, founder and CEO of Archer Aviation, said in the release. “Our planned networks will make the benefits of electric air taxis real for Texans — trading hours in traffic for minutes in the air, while connecting the biggest airports, business districts and sporting hubs in ways that America’s largest megaregion needs to grow.”

Archer Chief Commercial Officer Nikhil Goel described the air taxi experience to CW Houston as “100 times quieter than a helicopter for the price of an Uber Black.” He added that the air taxis are a combination of a helicopter, a small airplane, and a drone.

The Dallas-Fort Worth network is slated to include Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Dallas Love Field, Addison Airport, Arlington Municipal Airport, Fort Worth Meacham International Airport, and Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport, plus major business hubs like Frisco Station.

In Houston, Archer’s air taxi network will aim to connect George Bush Intercontinental, William P. Hobby, and Sugar Land Regional Airport with downtown destinations and Galveston.

In Austin, it plans to link Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and Austin Executive Airport with the F1 Circuit Helipad at the Circuit of the Americas. Archer debuted its Midnight aircraft at the F1 Prix in the Fan Zone and the F1 Paddock at COTA.

Archer is working with state and local partners to develop charging infrastructure and plans to pursue Texas operations through the White House’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program. It recently completed its "No Roads" flight tour, which included multiple flights over the San Francisco Bay, and flew to seven cities over three days.

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This article originally appeared on our sister site, InnovationMap.com.

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