University Park Elementary School
Dallas, TX 75225
Phone: (214) 780-3400
Fax: (214) 780-3499
District: Highland Park Independent School District
GreatSchools Rating
public • Grades PK,KG,1,2,3,4 • 463 students
University Park Elementary School, a public school located in Dallas, TX, serves grades PK-4 in the Highland Park Independent School District.It has received a GreatSchools Rating of 10 out of 10, based on a variety of school quality measures.
University Park Elementary School is a public school located in Dallas, TX. 463 students attend University Park Elementary School.
School Ratings
| Category | Rating | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Test Scores | 10/10 | The Test Score Rating examines how students at this school performed on standardized tests compared with other schools in the state. The Test Rating was created using 2025 State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) data from Texas Education Agency. |
| Student Growth | 10/10 | The Student Progress Rating measures whether students at this school are making academic progress over time based on student growth data provided by the Department of Education. Specifically, this rating looks at how much progress individual students have made on state assessments during the past year or more, how this performance aligns with expected progress based on a student growth model established by the state Department of Education, and how this school's growth data compares to other schools in the state. The Growth Rating was created using 2025 Percentage of students meeting growth target data from Texas Education Agency. |
Posted: February 18, 2026
The new principal and counselor are insufferable. They care more about charitable contributions (for their own pockets) than academics. Their attention goes to the highest bidder. Not academically minded at all. Like one reviewer mentioned, all the good staff left.
Posted: February 18, 2026
Posted: February 18, 2026
Posted: February 18, 2026
Posted: February 18, 2026
Posted: February 18, 2026
Posted: February 18, 2026
Posted: February 18, 2026
Posted: February 13, 2023
Excellent Elementary School and in our experience has been the best in HPISD (had experience at two others in the district. Lots of opportunities to volunteer and get to know other families in the district. They are also very open to newbies in the neighborhood. I can't say enough about all the fantastic teachers they have - with lots of tenure:). Coach Kenyon, Mrs. Vahrenkamp, Mrs. Barrow, and Mrs. Broadhurst - all amazing teachers. Their Principal is also the best... she spends more time with the kids than she does in her office. My kids absolutely LOVE UP!!! I can't imagine a private school that is better in Dallas:)
Posted: February 13, 2023
Posted: February 13, 2023
Posted: February 13, 2023
Posted: February 13, 2023
Posted: February 13, 2023
Posted: February 13, 2023
Posted: February 13, 2023
Posted: February 8, 2023
We had two kids attend 2021 and 2022. This school is a gem. The teachers, staff, parents, students, everyone is amazing. We had to move back to CA and wish we could have taken UP with us. We are unable to replicate this school experience for our kids, anywhere else. Its what you would expect seeing in a movie for an elementary school. Our kids had Mrs. Vahrenkamp, Mrs. Broadhurst, Mrs. Chancey and Mrs. Savage. The teachers were our absolute favorite. We miss you UP!
Posted: February 8, 2023
Posted: February 8, 2023
Posted: February 8, 2023
Posted: February 8, 2023
Posted: February 8, 2023
Posted: February 8, 2023
Posted: September 13, 2022
Fantastic School. Great teachers, caring staff, and wonderful environment.
Posted: September 13, 2022
Posted: September 13, 2022
Posted: September 13, 2022
Posted: September 13, 2022
Posted: September 13, 2022
Posted: September 13, 2022
Posted: September 13, 2022
Posted: February 15, 2022
Epic disappointment, very unprofessional staff, most of the good teachers left
Posted: February 15, 2022
Posted: February 15, 2022
Posted: February 15, 2022
Posted: February 15, 2022
Posted: February 15, 2022
Posted: February 15, 2022
Posted: February 15, 2022
Posted: June 12, 2019
Posted: June 12, 2019
Posted: June 12, 2019
Posted: June 12, 2019
Very disappointing. Teachers were the bullies. Too much screen time and not enough teaching.
Posted: June 12, 2019
Posted: June 12, 2019
Posted: June 12, 2019
Posted: May 12, 2019
I love this school. My kids had a fantastic experience there. I loved being able to volunteer regularly, I felt like I got to know the teachers, students and other parents very well. One of my kids had trouble learning to read initially but his teachers went the extra mile with him and cared very deeply about teaching him to read. We had some exceptionally special teachers at that school. Even the crossing guards are fabulous. They know the kids and parents by name. All the students favorite UP employee is head of maintenance, Mr. Gonzales, he has a smile and kind word for every single student and parent.
Posted: May 12, 2019
The majority of the homework is practice to reinforce what the children are learning in school. Its about 20-30 minutes a day for 2-4th graders. There are some fun projects each year too.
Posted: May 12, 2019
There may be a teacher or two who are not superstars but both my kids went through k-4 at this school and always had fantastic teachers who were very invested in their learning.
Posted: May 12, 2019
The kids have a lot of opportunities to step up and hold leadership positions. Mrs. Judd listened to my childs proposal to start a new technology club (a 3rd grader at the time) and allowed him and his friends to start the club with the help of a teacher sponsor.
Posted: May 12, 2019
LOVE Candy Judd!!!! She absolutely loves each child at that school. She is open and honest with the parents.
Posted: May 12, 2019
Both TAG and special education are very well done.
Posted: May 12, 2019
There is only so much teachers can do, a lot of bullies are very savvy and can easily get away with bad behavior but I do believe the teachers try hard. They have a buddy bench on the playground where kids can sit at recess if they are looking for someone to play with. Some of the more friendly, outgoing kids will swing by, grab that kid and include them. Ive seen several occasions of kids will be very sweet and protective of special needs kids. I feel the school fosters that environment.
Posted: May 2, 2016
What a horrible little school. The teachers are awful and favor the students of moms who volunteer. It is quite common to see the child of a class mom be the star of the Christmas show, the son of the auction committee head chosen as the "art student" to represent at district shows or a mediocre child of a large donor placed in the TAG program, etc. In a way, it is to be expected. That is why the parents volunteer. But the school is horrible the way it sells itself out.
There are teachers who will advertise their birthday on their homepage, presumably to solicit for gifts. And often, there will be. One teacher was given plane tickets as an end of the year class gift in addition to personal gifts. The shameless hustling for funds is a disgrace.
And the teachers will have the temerity to be rude to you because you want to discuss your child's learning. They can't help it. They know the parents are wary of upsetting them for fear of reprisals in the classroom, which I have seen.
The school's and the district's high test scores are lauded. I cannot say that is the doing of the teachers as I did most of the heavy lifting in my children's reading and math education. I would receive emails from teachers imploring parents to drill addition facts at home because "only five out of 24 students have them learned by heart." I can understand maybe only one-third of the students' not having learned them. But if 80% of the class hasn't, it means the teacher just doesn't want to do her job.
There is also very little reading time with a teacher if your child is not behind. The students read to one another and to themselves and listen to books-on-video.
And really, I don't need my children to learn how to use an iPad at school. They can do that at home. How about focusing on penmanship, how to write in cursive and the multiplication table?
I highly recommend this school to parents who like social climbing, willing to enroll his children in at least two sports activities and have plenty of time to teach the three R's of elementary education themselves.
Posted: April 29, 2016
The teachers like to remind you that they have Master's degrees. You are the one, however, who will be teaching reading and basic math to your child, unless he has a learning disability or is behind. The school does have a good support system for students who are behind because they care a lot about the test scores.
Posted: April 29, 2016
Posted: April 29, 2016
Reviews provided by GreatSchools™
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| 7 | Lake Terrace | Neighborhood/Subdivision | Garland | TX | 14.1 mi | |
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| 10 | Mistletoe Heights | Neighborhood/Subdivision | Fort Worth | TX | 33.6 mi | |
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| 1 | Saginaw | Fort Worth | TX | 33.1 mi | |
| 2 | West Fort Worth | Fort Worth | TX | 39.9 mi |
| Base | Distance |
|---|---|
| Exchange Service Headquarters Dallas | 12.4 mi. |
| Fort Worth NAS | 38.2 mi. |
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