Best Public Schools in Weslaco, TX

The city of Weslaco, Texas is home to 26 schools, including 14 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, 7 high schools, and 1 alternative school. These schools are primarily part of the Weslaco Independent School District (ISD), with a few charter schools belonging to the Idea Public Schools and Horizon Montessori Public Schools districts.

Some standout schools in the area include Memorial Elementary, which ranks in the top 15% of Texas elementary schools and outperforms the district and state averages on STAAR tests. Raul A. Gonzalez Junior Elementary also ranks in the top 20% of Texas elementary schools with very strong STAAR test scores, particularly in reading. At the high school level, Weslaco 21st Century CTE Early College High School stands out with a 100% 4-year graduation rate and a low 0.7% dropout rate, while Idea Weslaco Pike College Preparatory charter school has strong STAAR test scores, especially in reading.

However, the Weslaco ISD as a whole appears to be underperforming, with most of its schools ranking in the bottom half of Texas schools. This is reflected in the district's overall ranking of 594 out of 968. The charter schools in the area generally outperform the traditional public schools on metrics like test scores, graduation rates, and student-teacher ratios. Additionally, there is a significant socioeconomic divide, with many schools having extremely high percentages of students from low-income families, which likely contributes to the academic challenges faced by some of the schools.