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Elvis J Ballew High School

Public Grades

Summary

Elvis J Ballew High School is a small public high school in Pharr, Texas, serving grades 9-12 and part of the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (PSJA ISD). With a student population of only 52, the school has consistently underperformed compared to state and district averages, ranking in the bottom 10-15% of Texas high schools over the past decade.

The school's key challenges include extremely low graduation rates, ranging from 0% to 60% in recent years, and high dropout rates as high as 20.5%. Its STAAR EOC test scores have been highly variable, with some subjects performing above district and state averages while others lag significantly behind. These issues are compounded by the school's high poverty levels, with 87-98% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. In contrast, nearby PSJA Southwest Early College High School, PSJA North Early College High School, and PSJA Thomas Jefferson T-STEM Early College High School all have graduation rates of 95-100% and significantly lower dropout rates.

The combination of a small student population, high poverty levels, and inconsistent academic performance suggests that Elvis J Ballew High School may be facing significant challenges in terms of resources, staffing, and support for its students. Exploring the possibility of transitioning the school to an early college high school model, similar to its higher-performing neighbors, could be a promising strategy for improving educational outcomes for its students.

136

Students ?

8.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

97.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1100 E Hwy 83
Pharr, TX 78577

(956) 354-2520

District: Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd)

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

99.3%

White:

0.7%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 3rd percentile in 2012 → 60th in 2024

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Texas average (60% vs 54% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 57 percentile points since 2012

✓Small classes — about 8 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Biology scores 12 pts below the Texas average

Students meeting standards (2023-2024) ?

This school60%

District avg54%

Texas avg54%

Not ranked this year

Elvis J Ballew High School did not have enough recent test-score data to be ranked. Check the trend below for past years.

306^th of 951Pharr-San Juan-Alamo 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
2024	55.7	799 of 1990	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	16.6	1580 of 1861	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	2.6	1816 of 1857	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	3.6	1745 of 1797	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	3.3	1756 of 1777	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	0.5	1749 of 1762	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	0.8	1720 of 1743	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	0.6	1728 of 1734	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	0.8	1642 of 1652	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	2.7	1556 of 1603	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	12.9	1552 of 1672	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	1.3	1545 of 1568	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	2.9	1504 of 1539	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	4.4	1460 of 1510	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	13.2	1378 of 1497	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	23.0	1231 of 1430	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	27.7	1194 of 1429	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	33.3	1148 of 1427	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	77.1	175 of 1437	87.8%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	52.5	794 of 1880	57.8%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	65.4	379 of 1805	79.0%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	69.4	289 of 1884	84.7%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	63.8	491 of 1891	74.0%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	95.2	39 of 1548	97.5%	★★★★★

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)

Special Education (2024)97th percentile+38 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)88th percentile+28 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2024)85th percentile+25 vs school

Hispanic (2024)79th percentile+19 vs school

Male (2024)74th percentile+14 vs school

Female (2024)58th percentile~ school

By subject vs Texas (2023-2024) ?

English II Reading70%+10 vs state

Algebra I64%+19 vs state

English I Reading58%+5 vs state

Biology45%-12 vs state

★

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Schools Near Elvis J Ballew High School

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Ranking:

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				STAAR Spanish Reading (2026)			STAAR Spanish Mathematics (2026)		STAAR EOC Algebra I (2026)	STAAR EOC Biology (2026)	STAAR EOC English I Reading (2026)	STAAR EOC English II Reading (2026)	STAAR EOC U.S. History (2026)	STAAR Reading (2026)						STAAR Mathematics (2026)						STAAR Social Studies (2026)	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 (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	STAAR Spanish Reading 3rd Grade	STAAR Spanish Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Spanish Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 5th Grade	STAAR EOC Algebra I End of Course	STAAR EOC Biology End of Course	STAAR EOC English I Reading End of Course	STAAR EOC English II Reading End of Course	STAAR EOC U.S. History End of Course	STAAR Reading 3rd Grade	STAAR Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Reading 6th Grade	STAAR Reading 7th Grade	STAAR Reading 8th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 5th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 6th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 7th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 8th Grade	STAAR Social Studies 8th Grade	Total
Psja Thomas Jefferson T-Stem Early College High School	Public	9-12	714 E Business Hwy 83	Pharr	78577	Hidalgo County	Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 784-8525	553	40	13.8	95.5%	8 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	542 (98.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	74.8	335^th of 2009 public high schools	83.3%		78.6	237^th of 1974 public high schools	88.0%	98						92.6	81.0	75.0	82.3	69.4														$16,193
Kelly-Pharr Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	500 E Sam Houston St	Pharr	78577	Hidalgo County	Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 354-2870	587	37	15.9	93.7%	9 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	577 (98.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	53	1960^th of 4627 public elementary schools	57.6%		41	2708^th of 4651 public elementary schools	41.8%	748	11.1	60.0									49.2	55.1	50.6				47.1	59.1	42.1					$10,959
Henry Ford Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1110 E Polk St	Pharr	78577	Hidalgo County	Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 354-2770	643	40	15.9	98.1%	9 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	634 (98.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	55	1862^nd of 4627 public elementary schools	59.8%		38	2926^th of 4651 public elementary schools	37.1%	1064	30.0		75.0								42.2	50.7	52.6				51.4	54.7	54.9					$10,446
Buell Central Daep	Public	6-12	218 E Juarez	Pharr	78577	Hidalgo County	Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 354-2500	117	16	7.3	99.1%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	116 (99.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.9%)								(n/a)																								$36,188
Psja Sotomayor Building Blocks Academy	Public	PK, KG-1	1200 E Polk Ave	Pharr	78577	Hidalgo County	Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd)	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(956) 354-2000	167	11	15.6	84.4%	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	166 (99.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																								$16,909
Vanguard Picasso	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	901 S Athol	Pharr	78577	Hidalgo County	Vanguard Academy	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 702-0134	572	36	15.6	91.4%	11 (1.9%)	1 (0.2%)	559 (97.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54	1912^th of 4627 public elementary schools	58.7%		54.6	1870^th of 4651 public elementary schools	59.8%	42	17.7	40.0	33.3	40.0	20.0						48.2	39.3	77.3				47.0	46.4	45.7					$10,531
Liberty Middle	Public	6-8	1212 S Fir St	Pharr	78577	Hidalgo County	Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 354-2610	742	63	11.8	93.9%	6 (0.8%)	1 (0.1%)	735 (99.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45.4	1196^th of 2335 public middle schools	48.8%		44.6	1234^th of 2344 public middle schools	47.4%	38						94.6								55.4	49.1	52.8				28.3	14.0	48.5	30.0	$14,129
Psja Collegiate School Of Health Professions	Public	9-12	704 W Ridge Rd	San Juan	78589	Hidalgo County	Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd)	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(956) 354-2290	340	40	8.4	98.8%	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	332 (97.6%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	89.7	61^st of 2009 public high schools	97.0%		90.2	62^nd of 1974 public high schools	96.9%	1						90.9	93.4	90.1	93.1	88.8														$22,990
Psja Early College High School	Public	9-12	805 W Ridge Rd	San Juan	78589	Hidalgo County	Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 354-2300	2,300	173	13.3	93.7%	14 (0.6%)	3 (0.1%)	2,280 (99.1%)	3 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	51.6	916^th of 2009 public high schools	54.4%		47.8	965^th of 1974 public high schools	51.1%	49						70.5	68.8	60.0	59.1	56.5														$13,162
Edith & Ethel Carman Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	100 W Ridge Rd	San Juan	78589	Hidalgo County	Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 354-2700	686	40	17.2	84.5%	14 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	671 (97.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	53.1	1956^th of 4627 public elementary schools	57.7%		60.2	1570^th of 4651 public elementary schools	66.2%	386											52.0	51.8	59.4				31.7	56.0	51.6					$10,457

Frequently Asked Questions about Elvis J Ballew High School

What district is Elvis J Ballew High School in?

Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd)

What is the racial makeup of Elvis J Ballew High School?

Students at Elvis J Ballew High School are 99% Hispanic.

How many students attend Elvis J Ballew High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 136 students attended Elvis J Ballew High School.

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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.