Clear Creek Independent School District (CCISD) earned an overall A grade in the 2027 Niche rankings, finishing fifth among the 53 Houston-area districts the site analyzed.

For families in Friendswood and Clear Lake Shores, the results carry a local highlight. Clear Brook High School, which serves students zoned to both communities, earned an overall A from Niche with A grades in College Prep and Diversity and A- grades in Academics and Teachers.

Clear Brook also earned an A rating from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) in the 2026 accountability cycle, along with five Distinction Designations: Postsecondary Readiness and Academic Achievement in Reading/Language Arts, Mathematics and Science.

The district ranked in the top 3% of all school districts in Texas and the U.S., according to Midline, a Webster community site that compiled the results. CCISD scored A+ in College Prep, Administration and Food, and earned A grades in Academics, Teachers and Diversity. Clubs & Activities received an A-, while Sports and Resources & Facilities each drew a B.

Niche compiles its rankings using U.S. Department of Education statistics, state test scores, graduation rates, SAT/ACT scores and parent and student reviews.

The district also picked up regional recognition: No. 2 Best Place to Teach in the Houston area and No. 6 Best Place to Teach in Texas.

Feeder school results

Two Clear Brook feeder campuses posted strong Niche grades. Brookside Intermediate earned an A- overall with A- marks in Academics and Teachers. P.H. Greene Elementary also earned an A- overall, with B+ grades in Academics and Teachers.

On the TEA side, Greene earned a Distinction Designation for Academic Achievement in Mathematics. Brookside earned Distinction Designations for Academic Achievement in Reading/Language Arts and Top 25% Comparative Academic Growth.

District accountability and leadership

The TEA gave CCISD an overall accountability score of 89, a high B, in the 2026 ratings. That was up from 88 the prior year. All seven CCISD high schools earned A ratings.

Superintendent Karen Engle said in the district's Aug. 14 TEA accountability release: "Our goal this year is for a 90 or higher and we are certainly well within that reach."

Engle announced her retirement effective in April on Oct. 5. She has led the district since December 2022, and the Niche and TEA recognitions arrive as her tenure enters its final months.