Many of the best elementary schools in Texas are in the Allen Independent School District, according to one group's rankings.
Kerr Elementary School ranks No. 1 in the state, Evans Elementary School is No. 2, Bolin Elementary School is No. 4 and Boon Elementary School is No. 5, according to 2017-2018 rankings by niche.com.
Bolin Principal Reena Varughese said the school's focus on small groups helps them thrive.
"In every classroom, you'll see collaborative learning and you'll see teachers pulling kids to meet their individual needs, whether they're at a higher level or whether they're struggling," Varughese said.
"I like how the teachers are very involved. There's lots of personal level on each child. It's not just one big classroom," said parent Rowan Hmeidan, who has a second grader at Bolin.
High marks were also given for diversity and the low student-to-teacher ratio — 15 to one on average.
The principal said more than 40 languages are spoken at the school.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
"That's the world they're growing up in. That's the workforce they're going to be in. They learn to work with all cultures, all nationalities. They learn to work beyond their differences," Varughese said
The report card from Niche comes from data scientists, engineers and parents. It studies factors like reviews and state testing.
At Bolin, 93 percent of students scored at or above proficiency in reading, along with 96 percent in math.
First grade teacher Cynthia Record works with her Bolin class on problem-solving activities where they have to stick to a budget.
"Addition, subtraction — everything you can think of, math deals with money. So that's real world to them," Record said.
Allen ISD is making the grade with a total of 12 elementary schools in the state's top 50.
Carroll Elementary School in Southlake came in at No. 3 on the list. It's the only school outside of Allen ISD to make the top five. Kerr Elementary School, which is No. 1 in Texas, also ranks as the 25th best public elementary school in the nation.
