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Idea Academy Pharr

Q: Is Idea Academy Pharr a good school?

Idea Academy Pharr ranks 3165 th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades K-5

3165^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 32% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Idea Academy Pharr is a K-5 charter elementary school in Pharr, TX, serving 717 students as part of the Idea Public Schools district. The school serves a highly economically disadvantaged community, with over 93% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Over the past four years, the school has consistently received a 2-star rating, ranking in the 32nd to 45th percentile statewide, with its most recent performance dropping to the 32nd percentile—its lowest point in a decade.

Compared to nearby schools, Idea Academy Pharr stands out for its significant performance gap. While surrounding schools like Jc Kelly Elementary (0.26 miles away) and Cesar Chavez Elementary rank in the 86th and 91st percentiles respectively, Idea Academy lags behind. For example, in 4th-grade reading, only 27.83% of Idea Academy students were proficient, compared to 65.45% at Valley View South Elementary. The school also has larger class sizes, with a student-to-teacher ratio of 22.7:1, while nearby schools like Hidalgo Park Elementary and Jc Kelly Elementary have ratios around 12.8:1. Additionally, per-pupil spending at Idea Academy ($8,515) is significantly lower than at neighboring district schools, which spend between $11,259 and $13,557 per student.

Despite these challenges, Idea Academy Pharr has a notable strength in 5th-grade science, where 39.23% of students were proficient in 2024-2025, above the state average of 29.57%. However, this is an outlier, as reading and math scores have been on a downward trend. Historically, the school was highly effective with "At Risk" students, ranking in the 80th percentile in 2021-2022, but this success has not been sustained, with recent data showing a sharp decline for Special Education students (23rd percentile). In a competitive corridor of high-poverty schools, Idea Academy is the lowest-performing option for parents, with higher-performing neighbors like Graciela Garcia Elementary and Valley View Elementary achieving 4 and 5-star ratings with similar student demographics.

717

Students ?

22.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,432

Per pupil spending ?

93.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

600 E Las Milpas Rd
Pharr, TX 78577

(956) 283-1515

District: Idea Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

99.9%

White:

0.1%

See top rated Texas elementary schools

Compare Idea Academy Pharr to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 52nd percentile in 2016 → 32nd in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (40% vs 51% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 20 percentile points since 2016

!Reading scores 17 pts below the Texas average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school40%

District avg40%

Texas avg51%

3,165^th of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Bottom 32%▼ down 20 pts since 2016

From top 48% (2016) to bottom 32% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

28^th of 62Elementary Schools in the Idea Public Schools

546^th of 951Idea Public Schools 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
2026	33.8	3165 of 4627	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	41.3	2697 of 4651	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.7	2606 of 4710	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.0	2663 of 4647	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.4	2233 of 4581	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	27.8	3327 of 4578	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	42.2	2561 of 4479	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	48.5	2063 of 4359	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	46.8	2135 of 4329	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2016	54.7	2069 of 4286	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2015	52.2	2212 of 4320	48.8%	★★☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	68.7	905 of 4461	79.7%	★★★★☆
2021	47.1	2050 of 4331	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	72.5	683 of 4295	84.1%	★★★★☆
2018	67.5	907 of 4240	78.6%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	53.3	1198 of 2918	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.3	1447 of 3668	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.9	1520 of 3556	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.6	1225 of 3487	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	41.6	1968 of 3446	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	54.1	1355 of 3333	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.1	1327 of 3226	58.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	34.1	3176 of 4575	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	41.6	2207 of 3744	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.4	2411 of 4658	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.1	3327 of 4588	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	43.7	2542 of 4561	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	30.0	3188 of 4499	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	34.0	3066 of 4348	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	50.7	1959 of 4306	54.5%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	39.8	2783 of 4413	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	50.5	1692 of 3644	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.8	1868 of 4465	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.7	2135 of 4401	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.2	1809 of 4376	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	35.1	2913 of 4329	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.2	2056 of 4188	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.0	1642 of 4168	60.6%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	47.2	2337 of 4520	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	55.7	1435 of 3705	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.1	1564 of 4594	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.8	1920 of 4521	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.9	1479 of 4477	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	37.5	2890 of 4451	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	55.8	1656 of 4309	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.7	1224 of 4264	71.3%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	35.1	3078 of 4582	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	46.3	1897 of 3739	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.2	2343 of 4647	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.8	2051 of 4585	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	51.9	2066 of 4563	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	28.1	3313 of 4498	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	51.3	1942 of 4357	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.9	2207 of 4319	48.9%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	30.6	3298 of 4301	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	36.1	2347 of 3549	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.6	3308 of 4292	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

At Risk (2022)80th percentile+28 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)59th percentile+17 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)48th percentile+17 vs school

Hispanic (2026)37th percentile+5 vs school

Male (2026)33rd percentile~ school

Female (2026)31st percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)23rd percentile-8 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics43%-4 vs state

Reading38%-17 vs state

★

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Schools Near Idea Academy Pharr

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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 Reading (2026)				STAAR Mathematics (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 4th Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 5th Grade	STAAR Reading 3rd Grade	STAAR Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Reading 6th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 5th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 6th Grade	Total
Idea Academy Pharr	Public, Charter	K-5	600 E Las Milpas Rd	Pharr	78577	Hidalgo County	Idea Public Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 283-1515	717	31	22.7	93.7%	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	716 (99.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33.8	3165^th of 4627 public elementary schools	31.6%		41.3	2697^th of 4651 public elementary schools	42.0%	468						29.0	27.8	55.2		36.5	45.8	46.5		$9,432
Jc Kelly Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	201 E Las Milpas Rd	Pharr	78577	Hidalgo County	Hidalgo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 843-4201	260	20	12.8	86.2%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	260 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	82.7	668^th of 4627 public elementary schools	85.6%		89.5	389^th of 4651 public elementary schools	91.6%	279	36.8	81.3	45.5			47.8	87.0	60.0		61.9	87.2	80.4		$11,540
Hidalgo Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8700 S I Rd	Pharr	78577	Hidalgo County	Hidalgo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 834-4276	239	19	12.8	88.7%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	239 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	68.2	1220^th of 4627 public elementary schools	73.6%		69.5	1156^th of 4651 public elementary schools	75.1%	64	53.9	36.4	38.5			38.5	39.3	57.7		64.1	79.5	69.2		$11,526
Cesar Chavez Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	401 E Thomas Rd	Pharr	78577	Hidalgo County	Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 354-2720	403	30	13.4	98.3%	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	401 (99.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	89.4	395^th of 4627 public elementary schools	91.5%		74.7	941^st of 4651 public elementary schools	79.8%	546	59.3	73.3	55.0			55.6	65.4	82.1		74.6	65.9	91.4		$13,411
Berta S Palacios Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	801 E Thomas Dr	Pharr	78577	Hidalgo County	Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 354-2000	470	31	15.1	99.6%	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	466 (99.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	68.7	1196^th of 4627 public elementary schools	74.2%		77	874^th of 4651 public elementary schools	81.2%	322	7.1	46.2	63.6			50.0	64.4	60.9		44.2	66.7	59.7		$11,941
Carmen Anaya Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1000 W Dicker Rd	Pharr	78577	Hidalgo County	Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 784-8500	429	26	16.5	97.2%	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.5%)	424 (98.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	75	937^th of 4627 public elementary schools	79.7%		53.9	1910^th of 4651 public elementary schools	58.9%	973	66.7	63.6	50.0			56.3	62.2	72.1		41.5	66.7	66.7		$11,190
Valley View North Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	1300 E Anaya Rd	Pharr	78577	Hidalgo County	Valley View Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 340-1600	372	25	14.9	99.7%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	372 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	56.7	1775^th of 4627 public elementary schools	61.6%		49.1	2192^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	52.9%	417		20.0	71.4			51.2	55.3	57.5	53.6	44.2	48.1	61.9	39.3	$10,804
Valley View Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	3408 E Olmo St	Hidalgo	78557	Hidalgo County	Valley View Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 340-1450	446	27	16.6	87.9%	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	445 (99.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	80.7	735^th of 4627 public elementary schools	84.1%		80.6	733^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	84.2%	2		66.7	88.9	0.0	28.6	66.0	60.8	76.0	69.4	59.6	65.4	56.9	57.1	$9,682
Graciela Garcia Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1002 W Juan Balli	Pharr	78577	Hidalgo County	Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 354-2790	385	27	14.3	97.9%	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	383 (99.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	75.7	913^th of 4627 public elementary schools	80.3%		66.9	1266^th of 4651 public elementary schools	72.8%	353	40.0	89.5	66.7			60.0	67.4	60.8		45.0	81.0	61.0		$13,632
Wilbur E Lucas Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	1300 N McColl Rd	Pharr	78577	Hidalgo County	Valley View Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 340-1700	530	28	18.8	93.0%	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	527 (99.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	66.3	1291^st of 4627 public elementary schools	72.1%		72.6	1019^th of 4651 public elementary schools	78.1%	272	18.2		63.6			51.8	59.7	72.1	58.5	48.4	58.7	47.8	49.2	$7,820

Frequently Asked Questions about Idea Academy Pharr

What is the racial makeup of Idea Academy Pharr?

Students at Idea Academy Pharr are 100% Hispanic.

What district is Idea Academy Pharr in?

Idea Public Schools

Is Idea Academy Pharr a good school?

Idea Academy Pharr ranks 3165^th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Idea Academy Pharr?

In the 2024-25 school year, 717 students attended Idea Academy Pharr.

Rate Idea Academy Pharr!

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Latest Texas data All new data »

2025–26 STAAR, STAAR EOC & STAAR Spanish test scoresJun 12, 2026

2021–22 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 10, 2026

2023–24 dropout rates & graduation ratesSep 17, 2025

2024–25 STAAR EOC & STAAR Spanish test scoresJun 23, 2025

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.