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Russell Elementary

Q: Is Russell Elementary a good school?

Russell Elementary ranks 1613 th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1613^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 65% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Russell Elementary is a PK-5 public school in the Brownsville Independent School District (Isd) serving 418 students, and it stands out as a school on a strong upward climb, having improved from the 21st percentile statewide in 2020-2021 to the 65th percentile in 2025-2026. This is especially impressive given that nearly all students come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, and the school ranks in the 82nd percentile for its effectiveness with these students. While nearby Ortiz Elementary (89th percentile) builds a strong foundation from the start, Russell excels at accelerating learning in the upper grades, creating a different but equally valuable path to success.

A defining feature of Russell is the "5th grade leap." In 2025-2026, 3rd-grade math proficiency was 35.85%, below district and state averages, but by 5th grade, it soared to 76.36%, far outpacing the district (61.02%) and state (47.38%). This pattern, seen across multiple years, shows the school's instructional model is highly effective at catching students up and pushing them ahead. The school also achieved a perfect 100th percentile ranking for its Gifted and Talented students in 2024-2025, a dramatic turnaround from the 12th percentile just three years prior, suggesting a highly successful program change. In contrast, Skinner Elementary has been declining, and Martin Elementary has remained stagnant, making Russell's consistent improvement a key differentiator.

Russell achieves these results with a moderate per-student spending of $11,368, compared to Skinner's $16,226, showing that higher spending doesn't guarantee better outcomes. The school also supports English Language Learners effectively, jumping from the 26th percentile in 2022-2023 to the 64th percentile in 2024-2025. For parents, Russell offers a school that is not just improving, but is a master of academic acceleration, turning early challenges into later triumphs, and doing so efficiently. It's a school where your child can grow significantly, especially in math, and where high-achieving students receive exceptional support.

418

Students ?

15.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,552

Per pupil spending ?

97.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

800 Lakeside Blvd
Brownsville, TX 78520-7617

(956) 548-8960

District: Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Russell Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Stell Middle
High:	Brownsville Early College High School
	Pace Early College High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

98.6%

White:

1.4%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 31st percentile in 2016 → 65th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 34 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Texas median (65th percentile)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school55%

District avg54%

Texas avg51%

1,613^th of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Top 35%▲ up 34 pts since 2016

From bottom 31% (2016) to top 35% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

16^th of 31Elementary Schools in the Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)

355^th of 951Brownsville Independent School District (Isd) 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	60.0	1613 of 4627	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	53.7	1923 of 4651	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.4	2413 of 4710	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.1	2525 of 4647	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.4	2183 of 4581	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	23.3	3623 of 4578	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	55.5	1742 of 4479	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.8	1638 of 4359	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2017	37.8	2667 of 4329	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	37.5	2948 of 4286	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2015	36.9	3017 of 4320	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2014	40.3	2887 of 4260	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2013	44.4	2626 of 4221	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	45.3	2571 of 4206	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2011	36.3	3122 of 4095	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	19.2	3630 of 3937	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	41.9	2653 of 3884	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2008	50.9	2155 of 3768	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2007	55.0	1959 of 3724	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2006	56.2	1720 of 3476	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2005	64.2	1310 of 3475	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2004	51.7	1925 of 3465	44.4%	★★☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	60.9	1359 of 4461	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	30.7	3302 of 4331	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	59.1	1386 of 4295	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.7	1516 of 4240	64.2%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	56.7	1064 of 2918	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.8	1939 of 3668	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.2	2622 of 3556	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	36.4	2403 of 3487	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	24.7	2977 of 3446	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	48.8	1637 of 3333	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	43.7	1823 of 3226	43.5%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	58.0	1678 of 4575	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	47.9	1852 of 3744	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	37.2	3014 of 4658	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.5	3302 of 4588	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	40.1	2759 of 4561	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	25.9	3462 of 4499	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	50.9	2000 of 4348	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.5	1403 of 4306	67.4%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	79.2	1 of 2619	100.0%	★★★★★
2023	54.9	1705 of 2980	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	25.8	2590 of 2958	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	16.0	2702 of 3006	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	48.7	2073 of 3184	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	57.4	1623 of 3106	47.7%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	66.9	1103 of 4413	75.0%	★★★★☆
2025	61.2	1178 of 3644	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.2	2180 of 4465	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.6	1958 of 4401	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.1	1696 of 4376	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	29.1	3289 of 4329	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	63.2	1201 of 4188	71.3%	★★★★☆
2018	63.3	1203 of 4168	71.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	71.8	809 of 4520	82.1%	★★★★☆
2025	64.6	997 of 3705	73.1%	★★★★☆
2024	52.2	2063 of 4594	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.5	1621 of 4521	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.7	1435 of 4477	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	30.0	3393 of 4451	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	68.0	911 of 4309	78.9%	★★★★☆
2018	74.1	659 of 4264	84.5%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	61.0	1505 of 4582	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	56.7	1418 of 3739	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.4	2402 of 4647	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	56.3	1791 of 4585	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.4	1797 of 4563	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	23.5	3627 of 4498	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	59.5	1490 of 4357	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	52.6	1866 of 4319	56.8%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	59.2	1198 of 4301	72.1%	★★★★☆
2025	31.7	2617 of 3549	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.8	3547 of 4292	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.8	2827 of 4086	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.2	3157 of 3952	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.1	3459 of 3799	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	45.9	1668 of 3684	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.1	1407 of 3558	60.5%	★★★☆☆

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)

Gifted and Talented (2025)100th percentile+41 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)82nd percentile+17 vs school

Hispanic (2026)75th percentile+10 vs school

Special Education (2026)72nd percentile+7 vs school

At Risk (2022)70th percentile+17 vs school

Male (2026)67th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2025)64th percentile+5 vs school

Female (2026)63rd percentile~ school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics59%+12 vs state

Reading52%-3 vs state

★

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Schools Near Russell Elementary

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 EOC Algebra I (2026)	STAAR Reading (2026)						STAAR Mathematics (2026)						STAAR Social Studies (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 EOC Algebra I End of Course	STAAR Reading 3rd Grade	STAAR Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Reading 6th Grade	STAAR Reading 7th Grade	STAAR Reading 8th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 5th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 6th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 7th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 8th Grade	STAAR Social Studies 8th Grade	Total
Russell Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	800 Lakeside Blvd	Brownsville	78520	Cameron County	Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 548-8960	418	27	15.4	97.8%	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	412 (98.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	60	1613^th of 4627 public elementary schools	65.1%		53.7	1923^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	58.7%	310							41.5	47.1	65.5				35.9	64.8	76.4					$12,552
Harmony Science Academy - Brownsville	Public, Charter	PK, KG-7	1124 Central Blvd	Brownsville	78520	Cameron County	Harmony Public Schools - South Texas	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 574-9555	508	30	17.0	94.1%	17 (3.3%)	2 (0.4%)	483 (95.1%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	32.7	3249^th of 4627 public elementary schools	29.8%		26	3674^th of 4651 public elementary schools	21.0%	425						33.3	36.4	31.7	39.7	40.4	37.2	51.9	48.9	45.8	34.5	40.4	13.6	40.9	3.7	$12,656
Bryss Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	2255 N Coria St	Brownsville	78520	Cameron County	Raul Yzaguirre Schools For Success	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 574-7100	555	29	18.8	95.0%	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	553 (99.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	84.9	581^st of 4627 public elementary schools	87.4%		85.2	565^th of 4651 public elementary schools	87.9%	16	83.3	100.0	72.7			87.1	85.5	53.6	81.8	51.1	60.0	76.5	86.7	76.5	85.5	59.6	36.8	55.6	47.1	$11,605
Skinner Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	411 W St Charles St	Brownsville	78520	Cameron County	Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 982-2830	344	24	14.4	99.7%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	344 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41.6	2614^th of 4627 public elementary schools	43.5%		38.9	2842^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	38.9%	228		20.0		0.0	20.0		38.9	36.0	44.4				61.1	32.0	65.2					$11,606
Sharp Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1439 Palm Blvd	Brownsville	78520	Cameron County	Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 982-2930	432	27	15.8	88.4%	5 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	426 (98.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	70.8	1100^th of 4627 public elementary schools	76.2%		70.7	1103^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	76.3%	3			40.0				54.2	63.5	58.8				39.0	69.8	87.3					$10,721
Martin Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1701 Stanford Ave	Brownsville	78520	Cameron County	Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 982-2730	415	27	15.4	87.2%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	412 (99.3%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	55.3	1837^th of 4627 public elementary schools	60.3%		55.4	1809^th of 4651 public elementary schools	61.1%	28							47.8	49.0	50.9				41.3	53.9	69.8					$13,173
Garden Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	855 Military Hwy	Brownsville	78520	Cameron County	Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 982-2630	372	25	14.6	98.9%	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	369 (99.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	66.1	1299^th of 4627 public elementary schools	71.9%		56.3	1761^st of 4651 public elementary schools	62.1%	462							61.7	38.2	66.0				53.1	52.7	77.4					$12,832
Putegnat Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	730 E 8th St	Brownsville	78520	Cameron County	Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 548-8930	444	27	16.2	100.0%	10 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	431 (97.1%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	47.8	2223^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	52.0%		46.1	2376^th of 4651 public elementary schools	48.9%	153		27.3	54.6	25.0	30.0		32.0	43.6	48.8				54.0	51.3	58.5					$11,253
Jubilee Living Way	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	350 W Ruben M Torres Blvd	Brownsville	78520	Cameron County	Jubilee Academies	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 708-2020	363	25	14.6	84.3%	14 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	346 (95.3%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	87.3	497^th of 4627 public elementary schools	89.3%		62.7	1449^th of 4651 public elementary schools	68.8%	952							66.0	65.7	66.7				67.4	83.3	80.6					$10,636
Perez Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2514 Shidler Dr	Brownsville	78521	Cameron County	Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 982-2800	615	39	15.9	95.4%	6 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	608 (98.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43.9	2453^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	47.0%		49.1	2193^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	52.8%	260		33.3		66.7			37.2	53.1	53.3				26.9	74.6	41.7					$11,689

Frequently Asked Questions about Russell Elementary

What district is Russell Elementary in?

Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)

What schools do graduates of Russell Elementary attend?

Students who attend Russell Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Stell Middle
High : Brownsville Early College High School
High : Pace Early College High School

How many students attend Russell Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 418 students attended Russell Elementary.

Is Russell Elementary a good school?

Russell Elementary ranks 1613^th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Russell Elementary?

Students at Russell Elementary are 99% Hispanic, 1% White.

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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.