Eiland Elementary in Klein has earned a national award recognizing schools where students read better than poverty rates would predict.

The pre-K through fifth-grade campus was named a Bright Spots Top School, Klein ISD announced Tuesday, Sept. 8. The district said Eiland was one of only five public schools in Texas selected for the honor.

The Bright Spots program is a project of The 74, a national nonprofit education newsroom. Its analysts compared third-grade literacy scores against poverty rates at nearly 42,000 schools nationwide, flagging 2,158 campuses where students outperformed expectations.

"My immediate reaction was definitely shock and excitement! It was such an unexpected and meaningful recognition," Principal Alba Monge said in the district's announcement. "I know how hard our teachers and staff have worked to build a strong foundation in literacy for our students."

Eiland serves about 564 students. Klein ISD enrolls roughly 52,400 students across 53 campuses.