Ward Elementary School
Public elementary school in Abilene, Texas · Abilene ISD · Grades K–5
Ward Elementary School serves 502 students in grades K–5 in Abilene (Taylor County). It is one of 26 schools in Abilene ISD. By enrollment it is the 2520th largest of 4,726 public elementary schools in Texas (median 516 students). With 15.4 students per full-time teacher, it has about the same as the typical Texas elementary school (14.8).
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Rank and medians compare all 4,726 Texas elementary schools with enrollment listed on this site.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Students per teacher = students ÷ 32.67 full-time-equivalent teachers.
School facts
| School type | Regular School |
| Level | Elementary |
| Grades | K–5 |
| District | Abilene ISD |
| County | Taylor County |
| Area type | City, midsize |
| School meals | Free meals for every student (Community Eligibility Provision) |
| NCES school ID | 480744002238 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 directory and school characteristics; area type from NCES EDGE locale codes.
Compared with the district and Texas
| This school | Abilene ISD | Texas elementary schools (median) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 502 | 14,536 | 516 |
| Students per teacher | 15.4 | 15 | 14.8 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligible | 57.8% | 68.7% | 72% |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. District figures add up its schools. 61% of Texas elementary schools have fewer students per teacher than this school (share of schools with a lower ratio). State test results aren't published here yet.
Ward Elementary School in context
Size
Of the 13 elementary schools in Abilene ISD, Ward Elementary School is the 7th largest, with 3.5% of the district's students. The 8 nearest elementary schools are a median 2.6 miles away and have a median of 514 students, so Ward Elementary School is close to their typical size.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 enrollment and school type. Share of district students = this school's students ÷ the district's students. Nearest schools by straight-line distance between NCES EDGE locations.
Grades
Its largest grade is grade 2 with 94 students, and its smallest is grade 5 with 68, against an average of 84 per grade. This year grade 5 has 20% fewer students than kindergarten (68 against 85). Each grade is a different group of students, so the gap is not a dropout or growth rate.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership by grade.
Students
Hispanic students are the largest group, at 39% of enrollment, a lower share than across Abilene ISD (47.4%). White students are next, at 39%. Students from 6 of the 7 race and ethnicity groups NCES reports are enrolled.
57.8% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, against 68.7% across Abilene ISD and a median of 72% for Texas elementary schools. Under the Community Eligibility Provision, every student can eat breakfast and lunch at no charge, and families fill out no meal application.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership and school lunch program data. District shares weight each school by its enrollment.
Teachers
Ward Elementary School has 32.67 full-time-equivalent teachers, or 15.4 students per teacher. At the median Texas elementary school ratio of 14.8, a school with 502 students would have about 33.9 teachers, so Ward Elementary School has 1.2 fewer.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Expected teachers = this school's students ÷ the median students per teacher of Texas elementary schools (14.8).
Location
NCES classifies its location as city, midsize, which means it is inside a principal city of 100,000 to 250,000 people. The nearest other elementary school is Alcorta Elementary School, 1.3 miles away in the same district. There are 14 elementary schools within 5 miles and 17 within 10 miles.
Source: NCES EDGE school locations and locale codes, 2024-25. Distances are straight lines.
Students by race and ethnicity
| Hispanic | 39% |
| White | 39% |
| Black | 12.7% |
| Two or more races | 4.6% |
| Asian | 4% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 0.6% |
56.8% of students are girls and 43.2% are boys.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership.
Students by grade
| Kindergarten | 85 |
| Grade 1 | 81 |
| Grade 2 | 94 |
| Grade 3 | 84 |
| Grade 4 | 90 |
| Grade 5 | 68 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership.
Location and contact
3750 Paint Brush, Abilene, TX 79606
Phone: (325)690-3666
Website: abileneisd.org
Locations: NCES EDGE. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Red: Ward Elementary School. Blue: the nearest elementary schools.
Nearby elementary schools
| School | District | Distance | Students | Per teacher | Free/reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcorta Elementary School | Abilene ISD | 1.3 mi | 410 | 17.2 | 67.3% |
| Austin Elementary School | Abilene ISD | 1.5 mi | 729 | 17.1 | 52.8% |
| Bassetti Elementary School | Abilene ISD | 1.8 mi | 546 | 15.1 | 71.6% |
| Bowie Elementary School | Abilene ISD | 2.4 mi | 473 | 13.5 | 86.9% |
| Dyess Elementary School | Abilene ISD | 2.8 mi | 621 | 17 | 66% |
| Wylie West Elementary School | Wylie ISD | 3.0 mi | 673 | 15.8 | 24.1% |
| Bonham Elementary School | Abilene ISD | 3.1 mi | 481 | 14.1 | 77.8% |
| Wylie West Intermediate School | Wylie ISD | 3.2 mi | 465 | 17 | 20.4% |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Distance in a straight line between NCES EDGE locations.