Boyer Elementary leads Prosper-Celina area in U.S. News rankings

Ralph and Mary Lynn Boyer Elementary in Prosper ranked No. 425 out of 4,782 Texas elementary schools in the 2027 U.S. News Best Elementary Schools rankings, the highest finish among schools in the Prosper and Celina area.

Boyer Elementary scored 91.13 out of 100 on the U.S. News overall index. The school posted 82% math proficiency and 75% reading proficiency on state assessments, well above Prosper ISD's district averages of 68% in math and 71% in reading. Statewide, only 44% of elementary students tested proficient in math and 51% in reading.

The 974-student school on Montgomery Lane has a 17-to-1 student-teacher ratio and 59 full-time teachers, all of whom are certified.

Three other local campuses also appeared in the statewide rankings. Light Farms Elementary, located in Celina but operated by Prosper ISD, placed No. 920 with a score of 80.76. Its students posted 71% math proficiency and 72% reading proficiency.

In Celina ISD, O'Dell Elementary ranked No. 2,122 with a 55.64 score, and Marcy B Lykins Elementary ranked No. 2,141 with a 55.2 score. Both Celina ISD schools exceeded the state average in math and reading proficiency but trailed Prosper ISD's district-wide numbers.

No public comment from Prosper ISD or Celina ISD officials on the rankings was available as of Oct. 28.

U.S. News ranked nearly 47,000 elementary schools nationwide for the 2027 edition. The methodology weights four factors equally at 25% each: math proficiency, math performance, reading proficiency and reading performance. Half the formula measures raw scores; the other half accounts for socioeconomic demographics.

Steve Barnett, director of the National Institute for Early Education Research and a professor at Rutgers University, said state assessment data can help families make informed choices. "It's difficult for parents to figure out how good the schools their kids are in are, if they're thinking about choosing a neighborhood to live in based on schools," Barnett said in the U.S. News report.

Texas top 10 elementary schools (2027 U.S. News)