Economedes High School

Economedes High School in Edinburg, TX, is a large comprehensive high school serving approximately 2,689 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District, where over 92% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, indicating a very high level of economic need in the community.

Academically, Economedes has consistently ranked in the bottom quartile of Texas high schools, earning a 1-star state rating for several years. Its performance on STAAR End-of-Course exams is the lowest among the district's four traditional high schools, with a particularly critical weakness in English I Reading, where only 29.32% of students are proficient compared to the district average of 47.56%. While the school's graduation rate has improved from 85.3% to 90.9% over recent years, this progress has not translated into higher test scores. The school shows a notable strength in serving its English Language Learner students, who earn a 2-star rating, but struggles significantly with its Special Education students, who rank in the 14th-16th percentile. Nearby magnet schools like Edinburg Collegiate High School and South Texas ISD World Scholars achieve top-tier rankings (96th and 94th percentiles), drawing academically motivated students away from Economedes.

The school also faces challenges with a volatile dropout rate, which has ranged from 0.6% to 4.5% in recent years, and currently sits above the district average at 2.3%. This inconsistency suggests a need for more stable intervention systems for at-risk students. For parents considering this school, it's important to understand that while Economedes is improving at retaining students through graduation, it has not yet been able to raise academic proficiency levels on state assessments, and the school's performance lags behind other traditional high schools in the district, such as Edinburg North High School, Edinburg High School, and Robert R Vela High School.