These Are The Best 18 Schools In Amarillo And Canyon

Recently, we took a look at the schools that were graded the worst in Amarillo and Canyon. On that list were a total of 12 different schools, from elementary to high school.

Well, we don't want to just leave it at that. It's time we take a look at the BEST schools in the region, and I'm happy to report there are more on this list than there were on schools that received a bad grade.

For this list, we're looking at schools that received a grade from A+ to B-, good enough to get you on the honor roll if you're a student. We pulled these schools and their grades from the same list used for the worst schools. Therefore, the grading of these schools will use the same categories as the previous ones.

As a refresher, these school grades are based on these factors:

Percent of Students Economically Disadvantaged
Student Achievement Goals
Campus Performance
Growth
College Readiness

We'll start with the elementary schools in Amarillo ISD and Canyon ISD, and there are a ton.

WILLIS ELEMENTARY

The only school to receive an A- grade in Amarillo ISD, Willis is excelling in all areas. They grabbed an A grade for Campus Performance (which means their students are doing well) and Growth (which means they're keeping classes at a manageable rate).

Student Achievement Goals was the only category in which Willis received a B grade, which let's be real, is still pretty good. They have a total enrollment of 528 students allowing for better 1 on 1 interaction with the students.

CRESTVIEW ELEMENTARY

Our lone entry for elementary schools in Canyon ISD, Crestview also received an overall A- grade. They were similar to Willis in getting two A's and a B, however the categories are a bit different.

The A grades came for Student Achievement Goals as well as Campus Performance, so their students are excelling in the classroom all the way around. The B grade came for growth, which is still solid, but it means they're growing at a bit of a quicker rate than Willis. Their total enrollment currently sits at 509 students.

BELMAR ELEMENTARY

From here on out, it's all overall grades in the B's, and Belmar is our first entry on the list. Checking in with a nice B+ grade, Belmar is doing some things right. Catching an A grade for Campus Performance shows their students are doing well overall in the classroom.

They received a B grade for both Student Achievement Goals as well as growth. They have a small enrollment of just 331 students, which may be the reason for the B grade as I'm sure many parents see that and want to move there to get their kids more 1 on 1 time with their teachers.

PUCKETT ELEMENTARY

Our next school with an overall B+ grade is Puckett. They are almost an identical copy of Belmar when it comes to their grades. In fact, they are the same across the board in all categories.

The only place Puckett differs is they have a slightly higher enrollment than Belmar does, as they sit at 373 students. Still not bad at all, but that means slightly larger classrooms than Belmar.

WHITTIER ELEMENTARY

We start our run of flat B grades with Whittier. They received a B grade for Student Achievement Goals and a stellar A grade for Campus Performance.

Where Whittier is falling a bit short is in growth, where they received a C. The school is growing a bit faster than they'd like to see and is approaching 500 overall students. Those larger classrooms could ultimately affect its other two grades if they don't slow it down a bit.

PARAMOUNT TERRACE ELEMENTARY

Next up is Paramount Terrace. They also received a B grade, and they did it without catching an A grade in any category. Campus Performance and Growth were both solid B grades for the school. It was in Student Achievement Goals where they could stand to improve a bit.

They received a C grade in that category, which means the kiddos aren't quite getting to the goals the school has set for them. They have a lower enrollment of 360 kids, so there's optimism they can turn that around.

WINDSOR ELEMENTARY

Hot on the heels of Paramount Terrace is Windsor. They also received a B grade, but one thing they are different in is they did catch an A grade in the Campus Performance category.

They managed to pull down a B grade in Student Achievement Goals, so the students are performing at a high clip. However, growth at the school is a concern. They received a C grade there, and for a campus with an enrollment of 458 students, there is a little concern about classroom size.

EMERSON ELEMENTARY

Another Amarillo ISD school pulling down a flat B grade is Emerson. They mirror the grades of Windsor in every category, so what ranks them just a bit lower on the list?

Enrollment. While Windsor is getting closer to 500 students, Emerson is basically already there with a total enrollment of 494 kids. When you are hovering around 500 or over, the classrooms get bigger and the students don't get that interaction with their teacher as often to help them along.

MESA VERDE ELEMENTARY

Our first entrant to the list with a B- grade is Mesa Verde. We don't mind seeing a minus there since it's a B, however it means it could slip to a C+ at any given moment. The good news for Mesa Verde is growth is not a concern as they did pull an A grade in that category.

However, Student Achievement Goals and Campus Performance both turned in a C grade, which means the students are falling a bit short of what could push the school into a solid B or B+ range. With an enrollment of 435 students, they'll want to keep it there or even lower it a bit so they can improve those two grades.

WILL ROGERS ELEMENTARY

The next B- grade belongs to Will Rogers. They didn't receive any A grades in the categories but did land a solid B grade for both Campus Performance and Growth.

If they want to remove that minus from their grade, they'll want to slide their Student Achievement Goals grade up from the C it currently has. If they can get that to at least a B- range, they'll find themselves solidly in the B grade range.

CORONADO ELEMENTARY

Another B- checks in with Coronado. This grade is a very weak B- based on the individual categories, and it was an A grade in Campus Performance that helped save them from falling into an overall C grade.

That's because they received a C grade in both Student Achievement Goals as well as growth. With an enrollment of 440 students, they need to hold that number or lower it a bit to be able to give the kids a little more personal attention in the classroom to raise that Student Achievement Goals grade.

WESTERN PLATEAU ELEMENTARY

Our fourth B- grade for elementary schools in the area belongs to Western Plateau. Their best grade was a B in Campus Performance, which is a pretty solid category to get a B in. However, they landed two C grades which has them teetering on the C grade line.

Student Achievement Goals as well as Growth were the C grades. We're seeing a lot of correlation with those two being the same grade across the board and contributing to their overall grade. Their enrollment is currently sitting at 381.

WOLFLIN ELEMENTARY

We have finally reached the end of the elementary schools, with Wolflin checking in with a B- as well. Wolflin received a B grade for Student Achievement Goals and a sparkling A grade for Campus Performance.

So what's holding them back with a B- you ask? It's their growth grade, where they received a D. With an enrollment of 327 students, Wolflin has to find a way to slow down the growth at the school to jump it where it really should be based on their other grades.

LORENZO DE ZAVALA MIDDLE SCHOOL

Our first middle school/junior high school on the list is the only one to receive an overall A- grade. De Zavala received an A grade in both Campus Performance and Growth.

If they want to remove the minus from their grade, they'll need to bump their Student Achievement Goals grade from the B it currently has. It's possible with its low enrollment of just 415 students.

CROCKETT MIDDLE SCHOOL

Our first grade in the B range belongs to Crockett, who received an overall B+ grade. They were so close to joining De Zavala with a grade in the A range as they got A grades for both Campus Performance and Growth.

The B grade, just like De Zavala, fell in the Student Achievement Goals. So why didn't they get the same grade as De Zavala? It probably has to do with their enrollment number which is sitting at 879 students currently.

WEST PLAINS JUNIOR HIGH

Our only junior high school, as well as only Canyon ISD school, is West Plains. They landed an overall grade of B-. They didn't receive an A grade in any category while landing their only B grade in the Campus Performance category.

C grades for both Student Achievement Goals and Growth are what is holding back West Plains from improving that overall grade. With a staggering enrollment of 1,015 students, they can't continue growing if they want to bump those grades up. That'll be tough as many people are trying to move into that area for the schools.

AUSTIN MIDDLE SCHOOL

The next school on our list is a sad one as they're rumored to be shutting the doors after the 2024-25 school year, but Austin checked in with an overall B- grade. Landing an A grade in Campus Performance is a nice thing to have.

Unfortunately, two C grades in both Student Achievement Goals as well as growth hold Austin back a bit. Currently, their enrollment is second lowest on the list with 779 kids attending the school.

BONHAM MIDDLE SCHOOL

Our final middle school/junior high school on the list is Bonham. They also received an overall B- grade. Bonham landed two B grades in both Campus Performance as well as growth.

The C grade came from Student Achievement Goals. So how did Bonham land a bit below Austin? Overall enrollment at the school is a bit higher than Austin with 893 kids attending.

HIGH SCHOOLS

Wait, where are the high schools? Sadly, no high school in Amarillo ISD nor Canyon ISD received a grade of B- or better. The closest on the list was Amarillo High which landed a C+ grade. They were severely held back by their Campus Performance grade which was a D. It appears all the high schools in the area have a little bit of work to do to get on to this list.