United South Middle

United South Middle in Laredo, TX, serves 869 students in grades 6-8 within the United Independent School District (Isd) and has recently achieved its highest performance in a decade, earning a 4-star rating and ranking in the 71st percentile statewide.

This school stands out for its exceptional mathematics program, particularly in 8th grade, where 78.26% of students are proficient—far exceeding the district average of 64.96% and the state average of 47.24%. This is the highest 8th-grade math score among nearby schools, with the next closest being Raul Perales Middle at 68.39%. Additionally, United South Middle achieves a perfect 100% proficiency on the Algebra I End-of-Course exam, a feat shared by only a few area schools like Christen Middle and Los Obispos Middle, but significantly higher than the district (71.35%) and state (54.03%) averages. The school also excels with its English Language Learner population, which has soared to the 89th percentile statewide—the highest among all comparison schools—and ranks in the 82nd percentile for low socio-economic status students, demonstrating effective strategies for supporting diverse learners.

However, United South Middle has a notable weakness in 8th-grade Social Studies, where only 20.64% of students are proficient, well below the district (32.86%) and state (31.69%) averages, a trend that has persisted for four years. There is also a paradox with its Gifted and Talented program, which ranks in the 37th percentile, suggesting the school’s focus on elevating at-risk students may not fully challenge its highest performers. Compared to nearby schools like Lamar Bruni Vergara Middle and Joaquin Cigarroa Middle, which have shown volatility or decline, United South Middle has posted four consecutive years of improvement and maintained a 0.0% dropout rate for three of the last four years, reflecting stable leadership and a clear academic strategy.