Joshua ISD vs. Burleson ISD — What Families Need to Know

October 22, 2026 · Burleson, Texas

Here's something most people moving to Burleson don't know: your Burleson address might put your kids in Joshua ISD.

Including every home in Chisholm Summit and Tallgrass.

So which district is better? Honestly, both are solid. They're just different. Here's the side-by-side.

At a glance

	Joshua ISD	Burleson ISD
2026 TEA rating	B (86)	B
Students (2023–24)	about 6,000	about 12,600
Campuses	11	18–19
Graduation rate (Class of 2023)	99%	94.3%
Students per teacher	14.3	15
2025 school tax rate per $100	$1.2575	$1.2552

State graduation rate for comparison: 90.3%.

Joshua ISD: smaller, and growing fast

Joshua ISD is about half the size of Burleson ISD, and it's built for that small-district feel.

Five of its 10 rated campuses earned an A in 2026, including New Horizon High School, the Ninth Grade Campus, and North Joshua, Plum Creek and Elder elementaries.
It's growing. Voters passed a $106.2 million bond in 2024. That includes a new elementary school on Wicker Hill Road in Burleson, scheduled to open in 2027, plus a big CTE renovation and addition.
More schools are coming. The district accepted a 15.34-acre site inside Tallgrass for a future elementary.
Programs: dual credit through Hill College and Tarleton, plus career and technical paths in agriculture, construction, health science and STEM.

The honest part: fast growth means some campuses fill up. A couple of Joshua's elementaries were at or over capacity in 2023, which is exactly why they're building.

Burleson ISD: bigger, with more choices

Burleson ISD's superpower is choice. Families can apply to:

Elementary academies — arts, leadership and technology, sports and wellness, environmental science, and STEAM
STEAM Middle School
Game Development Design School (grades 6–12)
Burleson Collegiate High School, where students can earn an associate degree from Hill College — up to 60 college hours — before they graduate

The district has also been named a Texas Art Education Association District of Distinction five years running.

Choice schools often require an application, and some use a lottery. Know the deadlines before you move.

So which one is "better"?

The one that fits your kid.

Want a smaller district and strong graduation numbers? Look hard at Joshua ISD.
Want specialty programs like game design or an early-college path? Burleson ISD has the bigger menu.
Either way, look up the specific CAMPUS your home feeds into. District grades are averages. Your kid goes to one building.

The step most buyers skip

Check the zoned school for every single address. Burleson's school lines don't match its city lines, and two neighbors on the same side of town can be in different districts. I check this on every house before you write an offer.

Want homes zoned to a specific school? Tell me the campus, and I'll find the houses that feed into it. Book a call.

Rebecca Kennedy · Burleson REALTOR® · 817-372-9896

* Header image is an artist’s illustration.