Martinez Elementary

Martinez Elementary sits in west Abilene, a working-class part of the city where neighbors tend to know each other and community ties run deep. The school serves a population that faces real challenges, and families considering it should go in with open eyes — test scores sit in the lower range statewide, and academic support will likely need to come from home as well as the classroom. That said, Abilene itself has a lot going for it — affordable housing, a slower pace of life, and a tight-knit feel that bigger Texas cities have long since lost.