Middle Schools in Mercedes Independent School District (Isd)

The Mercedes Independent School District (Isd) is home to two middle schools—Sgt Manuel Chacon Middle and Sgt William G Harrell Middle—serving grades 6 through 8 (with Chacon also including grade 9) in a high-poverty area of Texas, where both schools face significant academic challenges but also show remarkable strengths in advanced coursework.

Sgt William G Harrell Middle stands out for its consistent performance in lower grades, achieving higher proficiency in 6th and 7th grade Reading and Math compared to its counterpart, and it excels in advanced courses with 79.41% of students scoring proficient on the English I Reading End-of-Course (EOC) exam and 83.33% on the Algebra I EOC—far exceeding district and state averages. In contrast, Sgt Manuel Chacon Middle shines in upper grades, outperforming Harrell in 8th grade Reading, Math, and Science, and achieving extraordinary 100% proficiency on the English I Reading EOC and 92.86% on the Algebra I EOC, though these results come from a smaller 9th-grade cohort. Harrell has a slightly lower student-teacher ratio (12.4 vs. 14.1) and higher per-student spending ($11,807 vs. $11,317), which may support its stronger early-grade foundation, while Chacon’s unique grade 6-9 configuration and 0.0% dropout rate highlight its focus on retaining and preparing students for high school.

Both schools are ranked in the bottom 10% of Texas middle schools due to low proficiency in core subjects like Math and Social Studies, yet their exceptional EOC results reveal a nuanced story: they are not failing across the board but have targeted excellence in advanced academics. For parents, this means Sgt William G Harrell Middle offers a stronger start in early middle school with more individualized attention, while Sgt Manuel Chacon Middle provides a powerful finish, especially for students aiming to excel in high school gateway exams. The district’s overall low ranking masks these pockets of high achievement, making it essential to look beyond the numbers to see the distinct strengths each school offers.