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Garza At Southmost Elementary

Q: Is Garza At Southmost Elementary a good school?

Garza At Southmost Elementary ranks 2843 rd of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

2843^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 39% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Garza At Southmost Elementary is a PK-5 school in the Brownsville Independent School District (Isd) serving 524 students in a high-poverty area, where over 93% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. This school has a history of strong performance, achieving a 4-star rating (83rd percentile) as recently as the 2022-2023 school year, but has since experienced a significant decline to a 2-star rating (39th percentile) in the most recent data. Despite this drop, Garza spends more per student ($13,311) and maintains a lower student-teacher ratio (14.2:1) than many nearby schools, such as Canales Elementary ($10,718 per student) and Brite Elementary ($11,018 per student), suggesting the school has ample resources that may not be translating into current academic success.

The most dramatic change at Garza is in math proficiency, which has plummeted by nearly 40 percentage points in 3rd grade over three years—from 69% proficient in 2022-2023 (well above district and state averages) to just 30.3% in 2025-2026 (now below both averages). This decline has allowed nearby Aiken Elementary, located just over a mile away, to pull ahead in 4th and 5th-grade math and reading, shifting the local academic leadership. However, Garza has historically excelled with "At Risk" students, ranking in the 91st and 92nd percentiles in 2021-2022 and 2018-2019, a 5-star performance unmatched by any neighboring school. This suggests the school previously had highly effective support systems for its most vulnerable students, though it now struggles to challenge its "Gifted and Talented" students, who rank in the 13th percentile.

An interesting anomaly is that in the 2024-2025 school year, Garza's 5th-grade students taking the STAAR test in Spanish performed significantly better in math (33.33% proficient) than the district (19.18%) and state (19.06%), indicating a potentially strong bilingual math program or a specific teacher's effectiveness. Overall, Garza's story is one of volatility—a remarkable post-pandemic rebound to the 83rd percentile followed by a three-year consecutive decline—contrasting with the stability of schools like Brite Elementary and Champion Elementary, which have maintained 3-star ratings. For parents, Garza represents a school with proven potential and resources, but one currently navigating a challenging transition that requires attention to math instruction and support for high-achieving students.

524

Students ?

14.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,716

Per pupil spending ?

93.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5245 Southmost Rd
Brownsville, TX 78521-8012

(956) 548-8870

District: Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Garza At Southmost Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Lucio Middle
High:	Brownsville Early College High School
	Lopez Early College High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

98.1%

White:

1.7%

African American:

0.2%

See top rated Texas elementary schools

Compare Garza At Southmost Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 64th percentile in 2016 → 39th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (44% vs 51% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 25 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school44%

District avg54%

Texas avg51%

2,843^rd of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Bottom 39%▼ down 26 pts since 2016

From top 36% (2016) to bottom 39% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

27^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	38.7	2843 of 4627	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	43.4	2541 of 4651	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.3	1973 of 4710	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	78.8	809 of 4647	82.6%	★★★★☆
2022	72.3	1064 of 4581	76.8%	★★★★☆
2021	9.5	4507 of 4578	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	75.6	853 of 4479	81.0%	★★★★☆
2018	65.5	1227 of 4359	71.9%	★★★★☆
2017	56.8	1629 of 4329	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2016	64.8	1537 of 4286	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2015	64.6	1538 of 4320	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2014	62.3	1626 of 4260	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	46.2	2514 of 4221	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	33.1	3254 of 4206	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	57.4	1972 of 4095	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2010	69.9	1122 of 3937	71.5%	★★★★☆
2009	64.6	1450 of 3884	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2008	64.6	1379 of 3768	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2007	64.7	1383 of 3724	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2006	51.7	1964 of 3476	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2005	38.4	2543 of 3475	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	18.0	3218 of 3465	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	81.9	382 of 4461	91.4%	★★★★★
2021	19.8	4064 of 4331	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	83.1	333 of 4295	92.2%	★★★★★
2018	70.6	764 of 4240	82.0%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	44.9	1552 of 2918	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	52.9	1527 of 3668	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	67.3	816 of 3556	77.1%	★★★★☆
2022	70.2	686 of 3487	80.3%	★★★★☆
2021	16.8	3326 of 3446	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	77.2	391 of 3333	88.3%	★★★★☆
2018	55.2	1242 of 3226	61.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	43.2	2540 of 4575	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	46.9	1915 of 3744	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	56.2	1789 of 4658	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	83.0	596 of 4588	87.0%	★★★★☆
2022	75.5	874 of 4561	80.8%	★★★★☆
2021	8.5	4466 of 4499	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	68.3	1097 of 4348	74.8%	★★★★☆
2018	60.9	1429 of 4306	66.8%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	29.9	2677 of 3075	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	39.2	2004 of 2619	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	52.6	1814 of 2980	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	27.9	2530 of 2958	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	1.9	2994 of 3006	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	33.0	2599 of 3184	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.9	2826 of 3106	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	46.1	2336 of 4413	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	57.9	1323 of 3644	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.5	1303 of 4465	70.8%	★★★★☆
2023	83.9	408 of 4401	90.7%	★★★★★
2022	75.9	677 of 4376	84.5%	★★★★☆
2021	12.0	4259 of 4329	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	80.4	454 of 4188	89.2%	★★★★☆
2018	70.8	816 of 4168	80.4%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	49.4	2175 of 4520	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	62.1	1132 of 3705	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.9	980 of 4594	78.7%	★★★★☆
2023	90.1	166 of 4521	96.3%	★★★★★
2022	81.6	403 of 4477	91.0%	★★★★★
2021	13.8	4318 of 4451	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	84.6	279 of 4309	93.5%	★★★★★
2018	76.5	552 of 4264	87.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	36.8	2974 of 4582	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	52.6	1603 of 3739	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.9	1942 of 4647	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	70.4	1103 of 4585	75.9%	★★★★☆
2022	65.5	1303 of 4563	71.4%	★★★★☆
2021	14.0	4233 of 4498	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	79.4	657 of 4357	84.9%	★★★★☆
2018	67.1	1137 of 4319	73.7%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	45.6	2035 of 4301	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	53.5	1384 of 3549	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.9	1647 of 4292	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.8	1591 of 4086	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	72.2	613 of 3952	84.5%	★★★★☆
2019	74.3	445 of 3684	87.9%	★★★★☆
2018	60.4	905 of 3558	74.6%	★★★★☆

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)91st percentile+15 vs school

Special Education (2026)53rd percentile+14 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)52nd percentile+13 vs school

Hispanic (2026)47th percentile+9 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)47th percentile~ school

Female (2026)44th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2026)35th percentile-3 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)13th percentile-26 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Reading45%-9 vs state

Mathematics42%-5 vs state

★

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Schools Near Garza At Southmost 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 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 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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 5th Grade	Total
Garza At Southmost Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5245 Southmost Rd	Brownsville	78521	Cameron County	Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 548-8870	524	37	14.2	93.5%	9 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	514 (98.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38.7	2843^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	38.6%		43.4	2541^st of 4651 public elementary schools	45.4%	302					37.9	51.4	46.7	30.3	52.1	41.7	$12,716
Del Castillo - Morningside Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1025 Morningside Rd	Brownsville	78521	Cameron County	Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 982-2760	526	31	16.9	95.8%	8 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	518 (98.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38.2	2875^th of 4627 public elementary schools	37.9%		43.1	2564^th of 4651 public elementary schools	44.9%	311					25.4	36.1	45.6	42.9	53.0	51.4	$12,384
Idea Frontier Academy	Public, Charter	K-5	2800 S Dakota Ave	Brownsville	78521	Cameron County	Idea Public Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 541-2002	675	32	20.9	92.7%	23 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	651 (96.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	32	3294^th of 4627 public elementary schools	28.8%		52.6	1987^th of 4651 public elementary schools	57.3%	1307					34.4	27.3	56.6	35.9	39.6	46.9	$11,268
Aiken Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6290 Southmost Rd	Brownsville	78521	Cameron County	Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 986-5200	630	38	16.7	96.3%	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	624 (99.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	61.3	1560^th of 4627 public elementary schools	66.3%		52.1	2022^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	56.5%	462					35.0	68.8	61.8	31.7	60.6	69.6	$11,106
Cromack - Castaneda Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3201 Lima St	Brownsville	78521	Cameron County	Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 548-8800	823	51	16.1	98.8%	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	820 (99.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46.7	2289^th of 4627 public elementary schools	50.5%		38.9	2848^th of 4651 public elementary schools	38.8%	559	66.7		16.7		53.1	49.1	48.5	43.2	48.1	42.3	$12,261
Champion Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4750 Bowie Rd	Brownsville	78521	Cameron County	Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 832-6200	710	40	17.6	94.8%	10 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	700 (98.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41.7	2608^th of 4627 public elementary schools	43.6%		53.4	1947^th of 4651 public elementary schools	58.1%	661					33.3	36.9	57.8	35.7	47.6	57.8	$10,531
Palm Grove Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7942 Southmost Rd	Brownsville	78521	Cameron County	Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 982-3850	294	20	14.3	95.6%	6 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	288 (98.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46.8	2283^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	50.7%		43.1	2560^th of 4651 public elementary schools	45.0%	277					26.2	45.2	57.8	33.3	61.9	56.5	$12,125
El Jardin Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6911 Boca Chica Blvd	Brownsville	78521	Cameron County	Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 831-6000	389	23	16.8	97.4%	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	385 (99.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35.3	3062^nd of 4627 public elementary schools	33.8%		53	1964^th of 4651 public elementary schools	57.8%	1098		50.0		33.3	42.2	42.9	44.2	26.7	44.9	50.0	$10,555
Canales Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1811 International Blvd	Brownsville	78521	Cameron County	Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 548-8900	630	38	16.7	97.9%	13 (2.1%)	1 (0.2%)	616 (97.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16.9	4199^th of 4627 public elementary schools	9.3%		23.4	3822^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	17.8%	377	10.0	0.0	0.0	16.7	35.3	33.0	37.3	25.4	36.8	16.4	$11,239
Egly Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	445 Land O'Lakes	Brownsville	78521	Cameron County	Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 548-8850	520	36	14.5	92.9%	9 (1.7%)	5 (1.0%)	504 (96.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45.8	2342^nd of 4627 public elementary schools	49.4%		43.3	2544^th of 4651 public elementary schools	45.3%	202					36.4	42.1	60.8	43.4	46.1	51.9	$11,269

Frequently Asked Questions about Garza At Southmost Elementary

What district is Garza At Southmost Elementary in?

Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)

How many students attend Garza At Southmost Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 524 students attended Garza At Southmost Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Garza At Southmost Elementary?

Students at Garza At Southmost Elementary are 98% Hispanic, 2% White.

What schools do graduates of Garza At Southmost Elementary attend?

Students who attend Garza At Southmost Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Lucio Middle
High : Brownsville Early College High School
High : Lopez Early College High School

Is Garza At Southmost Elementary a good school?

Garza At Southmost Elementary ranks 2843^rd of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Garza At Southmost Elementary!

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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.