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Pena Elementary

Q: Is Pena Elementary a good school?

Pena Elementary ranks 893 rd of 4643 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

893^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,643 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 81% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Pena Elementary is a PK-5 school in Brownsville, TX, serving 501 students within the Brownsville Independent School District (Isd), and it stands out as a high-performing school that consistently achieves top-tier academic results despite serving a community where over 90% of students are economically disadvantaged.

What makes Pena Elementary truly remarkable is its exceptional effectiveness with its student population. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school ranked in the 95th percentile statewide for its work with low socio-economic status students, placing it among the very best in Texas at helping these students succeed. It also ranked in the 93rd percentile for Hispanic students and the 86th percentile for English Language Learners. This means Pena is not just a good school, but a highly effective one for its core demographic. For comparison, nearby Paredes Elementary also performs well (93rd percentile overall), but serves a lower percentage of economically disadvantaged students (80.2%), making Pena's achievement arguably more impressive given its higher-needs student body. Pena's test scores consistently outpace both district and state averages—for example, 4th-grade math proficiency was 75.44% in 2025-2026, compared to the district's 56.35% and the state's 49.28%.

The school has shown a powerful upward trajectory, climbing from the 46th percentile statewide in 2020-2021 to the 81st percentile in 2025-2026, earning a 4-star rating from Schooldigger for four consecutive years. However, there is one notable area for improvement: Pena's performance with Special Education students ranked in the 26th percentile in 2025-2026, a stark contrast to its otherwise stellar record. This suggests a need to review support systems for these students. Overall, Pena Elementary is a standout "beacon" school in Brownsville, proving that high poverty rates do not have to limit academic success, and it offers a powerful example of effective education for families in the area.

501

Students ?

16.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,212

Per pupil spending ?

90.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4975 Salida De La Luna
Brownsville, TX 78526

(956) 547-7100

District: Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Pena Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Garcia Middle
High:	Brownsville Early College High School
	Rivera Early College High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

99.8%

White:

0.2%

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At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 81st percentile in 2016 → 81st in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Texas average (64% vs 50% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 19% of Texas elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school64%

District avg54%

Texas avg50%

893^rd of 4,643

Texas public elementary schools ?

Top 19%▬ steady since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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

349^th of 947Brownsville 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	76.5	893 of 4643	80.8%	★★★★☆
2025	81.0	722 of 4651	84.5%	★★★★☆
2024	76.5	883 of 4710	81.3%	★★★★☆
2023	67.1	1290 of 4647	72.2%	★★★★☆
2022	58.5	1676 of 4581	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	41.7	2462 of 4578	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	69.2	1106 of 4479	75.3%	★★★★☆
2018	71.4	969 of 4359	77.8%	★★★★☆
2017	66.4	1186 of 4329	72.6%	★★★★☆
2016	78.4	827 of 4286	80.7%	★★★★☆
2015	83.8	528 of 4320	87.8%	★★★★☆
2014	77.6	834 of 4260	80.4%	★★★★☆
2013	66.8	1342 of 4221	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2012	53.7	2060 of 4206	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2011	68.7	1272 of 4095	68.9%	★★★☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	59.2	1467 of 4461	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	41.6	2445 of 4331	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	74.9	604 of 4295	85.9%	★★★★☆
2018	76.8	519 of 4240	87.8%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	80.1	399 of 2918	86.3%	★★★★☆
2024	71.4	731 of 3668	80.1%	★★★★☆
2023	49.4	1709 of 3556	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	42.0	2116 of 3487	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	39.3	2120 of 3446	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	56.4	1251 of 3333	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	69.0	689 of 3226	78.6%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	73.6	936 of 4588	79.6%	★★★★☆
2025	76.4	668 of 3744	82.2%	★★★★☆
2024	76.1	830 of 4658	82.2%	★★★★☆
2023	61.5	1490 of 4588	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.6	1635 of 4561	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	38.5	2658 of 4499	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	60.8	1461 of 4348	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.3	1475 of 4306	65.7%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	55.5	1729 of 3080	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	62.3	1156 of 2619	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.8	1420 of 2980	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	32.0	2443 of 2958	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	34.9	2215 of 3006	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	61.2	1427 of 3184	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.5	1621 of 3106	47.8%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	80.9	483 of 4425	89.1%	★★★★☆
2025	86.1	266 of 3644	92.7%	★★★★★
2024	80.3	523 of 4465	88.3%	★★★★☆
2023	73.9	765 of 4401	82.6%	★★★★☆
2022	64.1	1212 of 4376	72.3%	★★★★☆
2021	49.0	1999 of 4329	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	74.4	670 of 4188	84.0%	★★★★☆
2018	77.3	574 of 4168	86.2%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	79.4	495 of 4535	89.1%	★★★★☆
2025	87.8	184 of 3705	95.0%	★★★★★
2024	80.5	447 of 4594	90.3%	★★★★★
2023	78.1	527 of 4521	88.3%	★★★★☆
2022	65.6	1148 of 4477	74.4%	★★★★☆
2021	47.4	2221 of 4451	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	76.9	505 of 4309	88.3%	★★★★☆
2018	82.2	371 of 4264	91.3%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	76.3	855 of 4597	81.4%	★★★★☆
2025	81.6	533 of 3739	85.7%	★★★★☆
2024	70.4	1108 of 4647	76.2%	★★★★☆
2023	69.0	1166 of 4585	74.6%	★★★★☆
2022	56.4	1793 of 4563	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	45.0	2260 of 4498	49.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	73.7	867 of 4357	80.1%	★★★★☆
2018	80.7	629 of 4319	85.4%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	32.0	3181 of 4308	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	41.1	2077 of 3549	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.3	3048 of 4292	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	55.9	1288 of 4086	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.7	1789 of 3952	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.3	1300 of 3799	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.9	858 of 3684	76.7%	★★★★☆
2018	54.3	1179 of 3558	66.9%	★★★☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)89th percentile+8 vs school

Hispanic (2026)89th percentile+8 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)86th percentile~ school

Male (2026)81st percentile~ school

Female (2026)80th percentile~ school

At Risk (2022)67th percentile+4 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)44th percentile-37 vs school

Special Education (2026)26th percentile-55 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Reading66%+12 vs state

Mathematics63%+16 vs state

★

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Schools Near Pena Elementary

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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 (2025)	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 3rd 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
Pena Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4975 Salida De La Luna	Brownsville	78526	Cameron County	Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 547-7100	501	31	16.1	90.4%	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	500 (99.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	76.5	893^rd of 4643 public elementary schools	80.8%		81	722^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	84.5%	171							70.6	71.9	58.7	68.6	75.4	49.3	$10,212
Idea Robindale Academy	Public, Charter	K-5	3802 E Ruben Torres Sr Blvd	Brownsville	78521	Cameron County	Idea Public Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 832-5300	699	32	21.8	88.0%	36 (5.2%)	2 (0.3%)	655 (93.7%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	44.3	2438^th of 4643 public elementary schools	47.5%		37.1	2981^st of 4651 public elementary schools	35.9%	543	20.0	7.7	20.0			20.0	40.5	68.7	60.0	38.8	40.8	27.0	$11,049
Gonzalez Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4350 Coffeeport Rd	Brownsville	78521	Cameron County	Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 831-6030	596	38	15.5	88.8%	17 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	579 (97.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	63.7	1426^th of 4643 public elementary schools	69.3%		74.5	947^th of 4651 public elementary schools	79.6%	479							44.6	65.3	60.0	39.2	60.3	66.3	$11,222
Vermillion Road Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6895 Fm 802	Brownsville	78521	Cameron County	Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 831-6060	654	42	15.5	97.9%	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	647 (98.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	52.8	1975^th of 4643 public elementary schools	57.5%		52.2	2014^th of 4651 public elementary schools	56.7%	39							44.4	55.2	54.6	43.2	50.0	54.6	$10,895
Breeden Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3955 Dana Ave	Brownsville	78521	Cameron County	Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 554-4730	511	36	14.1	83.6%	5 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	505 (98.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	66.7	1284^th of 4643 public elementary schools	72.3%		64.5	1362^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	70.7%	78							50.8	64.2	70.1	52.5	40.3	59.1	$11,435
Gallegos Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2700 Avenida Rancho Viejo	Brownsville	78521	Cameron County	Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 547-4230	390	26	15.0	98.2%	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	389 (99.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35.3	3075^th of 4643 public elementary schools	33.8%		45.4	2415^th of 4651 public elementary schools	48.1%	660							52.5	44.7	45.8	42.5	38.3	29.2	$12,867
Hudson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2980 Fm 802	Brownsville	78521	Cameron County	Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 698-0447	751	45	16.5	81.0%	18 (2.4%)	5 (0.7%)	720 (95.9%)	8 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	62.2	1509^th of 4643 public elementary schools	67.5%		71.7	1059^th of 4651 public elementary schools	77.2%	450							45.5	51.6	75.3	36.4	58.8	80.0	$10,895
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	2614^th of 4643 public elementary schools	43.7%		53.4	1947^th of 4651 public elementary schools	58.1%	667							33.3	36.9	57.8	35.7	47.6	57.8	$10,531
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%)	45.9	2348^th of 4643 public elementary schools	49.4%		43.3	2544^th of 4651 public elementary schools	45.3%	196							36.4	42.1	60.8	43.4	46.1	51.9	$11,269
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%)	35.4	3070^th of 4643 public elementary schools	33.9%		53	1964^th of 4651 public elementary schools	57.8%	1106			50.0			33.3	42.2	42.9	44.2	26.7	44.9	50.0	$10,555

Frequently Asked Questions about Pena Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Pena Elementary?

Students at Pena Elementary are 100% Hispanic.

How many students attend Pena Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 501 students attended Pena Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Pena Elementary attend?

Students who attend Pena Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Garcia Middle
High : Brownsville Early College High School
High : Rivera Early College High School

Is Pena Elementary a good school?

Pena Elementary ranks 893^rd of 4643 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Pena Elementary in?

Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)

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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.