Idea Los Encinos Academy

Idea Los Encinos Academy is a K-5 elementary school in McAllen, TX, serving 770 students within the Idea Public Schools charter network, where 87% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

This school has a notable strength in Mathematics, consistently outperforming its own district and often matching or exceeding the state average. For example, 4th-grade Math proficiency reached 57.69% in a recent year, compared to the district's 36.19% and the state's 49.28%. However, the school faces significant challenges. Its student-to-teacher ratio of 24.3:1 is the highest among nearby schools, far exceeding Roosevelt Elementary (12.0:1) and Thigpen-Zavala Elementary (14.9:1). While the school has shown a steady decline in its statewide ranking over the past four years, dropping to the 46th percentile, it has a surprising bright spot in 5th Grade Science, where it posted a 45.8% proficiency rate—higher than the state average and most nearby schools, including high-performing ones like Ruben Hinojosa Elementary (42.03%).

Despite these strengths, the school is consistently outperformed by traditional public schools in the immediate area, such as those in Sharyland Independent School District (Isd) and McAllen Independent School District (Isd), which achieve proficiency rates 20-30 points higher in both Reading and Math. Additionally, the school has shown volatile performance for its most vulnerable student subgroups, with Special Education students dropping from the 90th percentile to the 15th percentile in recent years. While the school spends $10,265 per student—less than some nearby McAllen ISD schools but more than others—its large class sizes and declining trends raise questions about its overall value for local families.