Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District

The Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District serves over 43 schools, including elementary, middle, and high schools, in a large Texas district where a high percentage of students are economically disadvantaged. The district itself ranks in the 60th percentile statewide, but performance varies dramatically between schools. The standout is Edinburg Collegiate High School, which ranks in the 96th percentile with near-perfect STAAR scores and a 0% dropout rate, despite 68.67% of its students being economically disadvantaged. Among traditional high schools, Robert R Vela High School leads with a 94.3% graduation rate and the lowest dropout rate (0.9%), while Economedes High School struggles with a 90.9% graduation rate and 2.3% dropout rate, a gap likely tied to its 92.04% free/reduced lunch rate compared to Vela's 61.73%.

At the elementary level, Austin Elementary and Jefferson Elementary are top performers, ranking in the 87th and 90th percentiles respectively, with strong reading and math scores despite high poverty rates. Canterbury Elementary also excels, consistently in the 90th percentile. In contrast, Zavala Elementary and Hargill Elementary rank in the bottom 25th percentile, with very low proficiency rates. Middle schools like South Middle (73rd percentile) outperform district averages, while B L Garza Middle and Elias Longoria Senior Middle achieve 100% proficiency on the Algebra I EOC exam, showing strong preparation for high school.

Key takeaways include that high poverty does not guarantee low performance, as seen at Austin Elementary and Edinburg Collegiate High School, but it remains a significant challenge for schools like Economedes and Zavala. Spending per student varies widely, from $10,375 at Alfonso Ramirez Elementary to $15,597 at Brewster Elementary, but higher spending does not always correlate with better results. The Juvenile Detention Center is a unique case with intensive resources ($45,908 per student) but low academic metrics. Overall, parents should focus on individual school performance, as the district offers both exceptional and struggling schools.