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Vela Middle

Q: Is Vela Middle a good school?

Vela Middle ranks 1221 st of 2344 Texas middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

1221^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,344 Texas Middle Schools

Better than 48% of Texas middle schools

Summary

Vela Middle is a public middle school located in Brownsville, Texas, serving 601 students in grades 6-8. As part of the Brownsville Independent School District (BISD), Vela Middle consistently outperforms the district and state averages in STAAR test scores across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in 2024-2025, Vela Middle's proficiency rates in STAAR Reading were higher than BISD and the state.

Vela Middle's success extends beyond overall academic performance, as the school also excels in supporting traditionally underserved student subgroups. Hispanic students, English Language Learners, Special Education students, and Low Socioeconomic Status students at Vela Middle consistently outperform their counterparts at the district and state levels in various STAAR assessments. This indicates that the school is committed to providing equitable educational opportunities and addressing the unique needs of diverse learners.

When compared to other middle schools in the Brownsville area, such as Resaca Middle, Lucio Middle, and Faulk Middle, Vela Middle generally outperforms its peers in academic measures, making it a strong choice for families seeking a high-performing middle school option in the region.

658

Students ?

14.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,183

Per pupil spending ?

82.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4905 Paredes Line Rd
Brownsville, TX 78521-5837

(956) 548-7770

District: Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Vela Middle usually attend:

High:	Brownsville Early College High School
	Hanna Early College High School

Feeder schools for Vela Middle:

Elementary:	Burns Elementary
	Paredes Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

98.3%

Asian:

1.2%

African American:

0.3%

See top rated Texas middle schools

Compare Vela Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 29th percentile in 2015 → 48th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 19 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Science scores 24 pts below the Texas average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school45%

District avg45%

Texas avg47%

1,221^st of 2,344

Texas public middle schools ?

Bottom 48%▲ up 19 pts since 2015

From bottom 29% (2015) to bottom 48% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 10Middle Schools in the Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)

371^st of 961Brownsville Independent School District (Isd) among Texas districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	45.0	1221 of 2344	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	57.0	855 of 2372	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.5	1102 of 2330	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.5	1212 of 2254	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	33.6	1484 of 2252	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	57.2	768 of 2193	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.5	831 of 2080	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	39.7	1197 of 2027	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2016	49.7	1076 of 1987	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2015	35.3	1447 of 2043	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	44.6	1191 of 1987	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	43.3	1236 of 1973	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	46.8	1124 of 1951	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2011	61.8	719 of 1895	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	67.4	488 of 1803	72.9%	★★★★☆
2009	67.7	498 of 1763	71.8%	★★★★☆
2008	68.6	448 of 1718	73.9%	★★★★☆
2007	68.6	467 of 1684	72.3%	★★★★☆
2006	67.7	466 of 1585	70.6%	★★★★☆
2005	68.3	461 of 1582	70.9%	★★★★☆
2004	61.2	647 of 1573	58.9%	★★★☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	36.6	1431 of 2182	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	19.7	1974 of 2118	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	48.7	893 of 2058	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	43.2	1069 of 2008	46.8%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	36.7	912 of 1428	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.5	835 of 1770	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	35.2	1143 of 1720	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.1	1264 of 1643	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.2	1388 of 1592	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	37.1	916 of 1445	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.9	915 of 1376	33.5%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	44.3	967 of 1825	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.4	900 of 2242	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.6	1065 of 2241	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.2	1207 of 2221	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.4	1403 of 2151	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	56.8	763 of 2047	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.5	834 of 2008	58.5%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	44.3	844 of 1230	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.3	1022 of 1481	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.7	1044 of 1488	29.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.8	1274 of 1501	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	50.8	899 of 1446	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	45.3	966 of 1430	32.4%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	51.4	733 of 1731	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.1	520 of 2119	75.5%	★★★★☆
2023	56.2	772 of 2116	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.9	888 of 2077	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	41.5	1153 of 2043	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	64.6	499 of 1935	74.2%	★★★★☆
2018	60.8	546 of 1895	71.2%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	51.5	782 of 1820	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.4	581 of 2235	74.0%	★★★★☆
2023	52.9	922 of 2251	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.3	1110 of 2220	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	38.2	1374 of 2172	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	61.4	597 of 2073	71.2%	★★★★☆
2018	65.1	475 of 2039	76.7%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	42.4	996 of 1818	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	59.3	747 of 2246	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.7	1100 of 2245	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	42.7	1218 of 2228	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	31.4	1500 of 2168	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	56.1	758 of 2069	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	52.2	833 of 2030	59.0%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	39.2	989 of 1568	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	62.1	479 of 1891	74.7%	★★★★☆
2023	34.7	1214 of 1815	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.1	832 of 1757	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	35.5	1094 of 1712	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	55.2	480 of 1626	70.5%	★★★★☆
2018	51.6	519 of 1597	67.5%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Hispanic (2025)58th percentile+10 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)57th percentile+9 vs school

Female (2025)47th percentile~ school

Male (2025)45th percentile-3 vs school

Special Education (2025)37th percentile-11 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)36th percentile-12 vs school

At Risk (2022)34th percentile-12 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)31st percentile-17 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2024-2025) ?

English I Reading100%+49 vs state

Biology96%+34 vs state

Algebra I94%+47 vs state

Reading54%~ state avg

Mathematics33%-6 vs state

Social Studies30%~ state avg

Science22%-24 vs state

★

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Schools Near Vela Middle

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				STAAR EOC Algebra I (2025)	STAAR EOC Biology (2025)	STAAR EOC English I Reading (2025)	STAAR Reading (2025)			STAAR Mathematics (2025)			STAAR Science (2025)	STAAR Social Studies (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	STAAR EOC Algebra I End of Course	STAAR EOC Biology End of Course	STAAR EOC English I Reading End of Course	STAAR Reading 6th Grade	STAAR Reading 7th Grade	STAAR Reading 8th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 6th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 7th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 8th Grade	STAAR Science 8th Grade	STAAR Social Studies 8th Grade	Total
Vela Middle	Public	6-8	4905 Paredes Line Rd	Brownsville	78521	Cameron County	Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 548-7770	658	46	14.2	82.8%	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	647 (98.3%)	8 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45	1221^st of 2344 public middle schools	47.9%		57	855^th of 2372 public middle schools	64.0%	366	94.4	95.7	100.0	59.6	54.0	47.0	37.0	17.1	38.4	21.8	29.6	$13,183
Stell Middle	Public	6-8	1105 Los Ebanos Blvd	Brownsville	78520	Cameron County	Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 548-8560	733	56	13.1	91.7%	7 (1.0%)	2 (0.3%)	724 (98.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31.1	1693^rd of 2344 public middle schools	27.8%		33.1	1636^th of 2372 public middle schools	31.0%	57	88.9	96.9	96.4	42.2	58.1	30.1	26.5	14.0	43.4	17.0	13.5	$12,108
Resaca Middle	Public	6-8	205 Rancho Alto	Brownsville	78526	Cameron County	Los Fresnos Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 254-5159	870	51	17.1	71.0%	24 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	840 (96.6%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	56.4	883^rd of 2344 public middle schools	62.3%		54.7	933^rd of 2372 public middle schools	60.7%	50	98.8			63.7	58.6	58.2	29.8	38.4	35.6	50.0	25.3	$9,438
Stillman Middle	Public	6-8	2977 W Tandy Rd	Brownsville	78521	Cameron County	Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 698-1000	964	66	14.5	67.7%	11 (1.1%)	2 (0.2%)	944 (97.9%)	6 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	68.7	568^th of 2344 public middle schools	75.8%		66.8	621^st of 2372 public middle schools	73.8%	53	91.6	92.9	100.0	62.2	66.5	62.4	50.2	20.5	68.5	57.1	31.1	$10,345
Manzano Middle	Public	6-8	2580 W Alton Gloor	Brownsville	78521	Cameron County	Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 548-9800	837	60	14.0	81.2%	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	831 (99.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	62.1	744^th of 2344 public middle schools	68.3%		62.7	717^th of 2372 public middle schools	69.8%	27	94.2	98.6	100.0	68.2	52.7	63.1	44.1	13.0	66.0	50.0	31.0	$11,103
Oliveira Middle	Public	6-8	444 Land O' Lakes	Brownsville	78521	Cameron County	Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 548-8530	699	58	11.9	94.8%	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	693 (99.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	41.7	1339^th of 2344 public middle schools	42.9%		31.5	1693^rd of 2372 public middle schools	28.6%	354	87.3	100.0	100.0	53.0	46.9	41.9	31.5	17.9	58.6	34.1	20.7	$12,648
Garcia Middle	Public	6-8	5701 Fm 802	Brownsville	78521	Cameron County	Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 832-6300	870	59	14.8	87.7%	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	867 (99.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36.6	1507^th of 2344 public middle schools	35.7%		38.9	1438^th of 2372 public middle schools	39.4%	69	77.9	97.1	95.7	50.5	52.4	42.1	24.0	4.7	45.8	25.0	23.0	$11,132
Perkins Middle	Public	6-8	4750 Austin Rd	Brownsville	78521	Cameron County	Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 831-8770	480	40	12.0	98.3%	16 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	464 (96.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22.4	1964^th of 2344 public middle schools	16.2%		33.5	1628^th of 2372 public middle schools	31.4%	336	63.2	90.6	100.0	35.8	44.9	36.1	16.5	2.0	32.8	22.0	15.1	$14,111
Faulk Middle	Public	6-8	2000 Roosevelt St	Brownsville	78521	Cameron County	Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 548-8500	885	61	14.4	96.3%	9 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	876 (99.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37.6	1471^st of 2344 public middle schools	37.2%		39.3	1421^st of 2372 public middle schools	40.1%	50	97.7	96.4	100.0	34.4	47.2	41.6	37.9	5.9	44.8	29.3	32.7	$11,839
Lucio Middle	Public	6-8	300 N Vermillion Rd	Brownsville	78521	Cameron County	Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 831-4550	627	47	13.4	99.7%	5 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	621 (99.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43.1	1297^th of 2344 public middle schools	44.7%		38.4	1458^th of 2372 public middle schools	38.5%	161	96.8	95.7	100.0	50.0	51.0	39.0	27.1	18.2	55.4	30.8	31.3	$12,266

Frequently Asked Questions about Vela Middle

What is the racial makeup of Vela Middle?

Students at Vela Middle are 98% Hispanic, 1% Asian.

Is Vela Middle a good school?

Vela Middle ranks 1221^st of 2344 Texas middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of Vela Middle attend?

Students who attend Vela Middle usually go on to attend Brownsville Early College High School

What district is Vela Middle in?

Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)

How many students attend Vela Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 658 students attended Vela Middle.

Rate Vela Middle!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Texas Education Agency.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.