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Dr Thomas Esparza Elementary

Q: Is Dr Thomas Esparza Elementary a good school?

Dr Thomas Esparza Elementary ranks 2020 th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

2020^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 56% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Dr. Thomas Esparza Elementary is a PK-5 school in the Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District, serving 541 students in a high-poverty area where about 90% qualify for free or reduced lunch. Before the pandemic, this school was a consistent performer, ranking in the top 25-40% of Texas elementary schools, but it experienced a sharp decline during 2020-2021, dropping to the 15th percentile. While it has shown recovery, reaching the 56th percentile in the most recent ranking, it has not yet returned to its pre-pandemic stability, bouncing between the 22nd and 60th percentiles in recent years.

A key concern is the school's performance in upper elementary grades. While 3rd graders outperform the district and state in Math, by 5th grade, Math proficiency falls significantly below both. Science scores are a major red flag: only 14.8% of 5th graders were proficient, roughly half the district and state rates, and the lowest among nearby schools like Austin Elementary (71.8%) and Jefferson Elementary (44.8%). The school also has the highest student-teacher ratio (17.7) among its immediate peers, which is notably larger than Travis Elementary (13.2) and Lincoln Elementary (14.2).

Interestingly, the school excels in one area: its Gifted and Talented program ranks in the 97th percentile statewide, a stark contrast to its overall 56th percentile ranking. This suggests resources may be heavily focused on a small, high-performing group. When compared to its next-door neighbor, Betts Elementary, which has a similar demographic profile, Esparza spends more per student ($12,026 vs. $11,074) but achieves worse results, indicating challenges may stem from instructional strategy or resource allocation rather than poverty alone.

541

Students ?

17.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,118

Per pupil spending ?

89.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2510 S Cesar Chavez
Edinburg, TX 78539

(956) 289-2308

District: Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District

Students who attend Dr Thomas Esparza Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Francisco Barrientes Middle
High:	Edinburg High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

100.0%

See top rated Texas elementary schools

Compare Dr Thomas Esparza Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 75th percentile in 2016 → 56th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Texas median (56th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 19 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school50%

District avg52%

Texas avg51%

2,020^th of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Top 44%▼ down 19 pts since 2016

From top 25% (2016) to top 44% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

17^th of 31Elementary Schools in the Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District

377^th of 951Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District 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	51.8	2020 of 4627	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	26.9	3609 of 4651	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	39.4	2870 of 4710	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	55.2	1868 of 4647	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	41.5	2648 of 4581	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	20.0	3876 of 4578	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	66.4	1216 of 4479	72.9%	★★★★☆
2018	69.4	1055 of 4359	75.8%	★★★★☆
2017	57.2	1609 of 4329	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	73.5	1069 of 4286	75.1%	★★★★☆
2015	69.1	1318 of 4320	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2014	66.7	1382 of 4260	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2013	59.3	1761 of 4221	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	67.7	1275 of 4206	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2011	79.0	546 of 4095	86.7%	★★★★☆
2010	77.7	610 of 3937	84.5%	★★★★☆
2009	49.8	2265 of 3884	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2008	52.4	2073 of 3768	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2007	56.6	1881 of 3724	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2006	45.6	2257 of 3476	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2005	63.1	1364 of 3475	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2004	53.6	1836 of 3465	47.0%	★★☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	61.6	1321 of 4461	70.4%	★★★★☆
2021	37.7	2741 of 4331	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	83.5	319 of 4295	92.6%	★★★★★
2018	91.3	128 of 4240	97.0%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	32.7	2092 of 2918	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	45.6	1886 of 3668	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	61.9	1055 of 3556	70.3%	★★★★☆
2022	48.6	1729 of 3487	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	36.1	2289 of 3446	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	81.9	273 of 3333	91.8%	★★★★★
2018	86.6	165 of 3226	94.9%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	53.1	1916 of 4575	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	37.9	2385 of 3744	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	54.7	1881 of 4658	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.9	1362 of 4588	70.3%	★★★★☆
2022	44.7	2487 of 4561	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	22.0	3751 of 4499	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	60.8	1457 of 4348	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.2	1193 of 4306	72.3%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	75.2	89 of 3075	97.1%	★★★★★
2023	71.1	717 of 2980	75.9%	★★★★☆
2022	52.4	1756 of 2958	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	24.8	2477 of 3006	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	66.2	1097 of 3184	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	79.1	97 of 3106	96.9%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	58.1	1584 of 4413	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	32.8	2677 of 3644	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	50.5	2094 of 4465	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.4	1343 of 4401	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.5	2191 of 4376	49.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	25.1	3561 of 4329	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	72.1	771 of 4188	81.6%	★★★★☆
2018	75.1	662 of 4168	84.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	63.0	1268 of 4520	71.9%	★★★★☆
2025	31.8	2800 of 3705	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	54.5	1896 of 4594	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.8	1088 of 4521	75.9%	★★★★☆
2022	52.4	1998 of 4477	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	25.7	3695 of 4451	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	74.0	633 of 4309	85.3%	★★★★☆
2018	79.1	455 of 4264	89.3%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	49.7	2126 of 4582	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	19.4	3295 of 3739	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.8	3266 of 4647	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	46.5	2361 of 4585	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.9	2807 of 4563	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	20.9	3815 of 4498	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	69.2	1044 of 4357	76.0%	★★★★☆
2018	69.7	1023 of 4319	76.3%	★★★★☆

Migrant

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2018	56.8	41 of 112	63.4%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	58.1	1266 of 4301	70.6%	★★★★☆
2025	41.9	2031 of 3549	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	56.6	1465 of 4292	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.8	1480 of 3558	58.4%	★★★☆☆

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 (2026)97th percentile+41 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)72nd percentile+16 vs school

Special Education (2026)71st percentile+14 vs school

At Risk (2022)70th percentile+28 vs school

Hispanic (2026)64th percentile+8 vs school

Migrant (2018)63rd percentile-12 vs school

Female (2026)58th percentile~ school

Male (2026)54th percentile-3 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)28th percentile+6 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics52%+5 vs state

Reading48%-6 vs state

★

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Schools Near Dr Thomas Esparza 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 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 Reading 3rd Grade	STAAR Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 5th Grade	Total
Dr Thomas Esparza Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2510 S Cesar Chavez	Edinburg	78539	Hidalgo County	Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 289-2308	541	30	17.7	89.8%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	541 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	51.8	2020^th of 4627 public elementary schools	56.3%		26.9	3609^th of 4651 public elementary schools	22.4%	1589		56.4	42.4	47.7	50.0	64.2	41.5	$10,118
Betts Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2320 S Cesar Chavez Rd	Edinburg	75839	Hidalgo County	Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 289-2560	534	33	16.2	91.0%	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	530 (99.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	65.1	1344^th of 4627 public elementary schools	71.0%		56.1	1768^th of 4651 public elementary schools	62.0%	424		49.3	61.9	67.5	36.6	68.3	55.7	$9,754
Cano-Gonzalez Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1701 S Raul Longoria	Edinburg	78539	Hidalgo County	Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 289-2380	399	26	15.1	75.9%	5 (1.3%)	4 (1.0%)	388 (97.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54.9	1863^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	59.7%		43.4	2535^th of 4651 public elementary schools	45.5%	672		53.7	55.6	47.8	53.7	69.4	41.8	$11,772
Macaria Dela Garza Gorena Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1801 E Freddy Gonzalez Dr	Edinburg	78542	Hidalgo County	Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 289-2460	554	35	15.6	76.4%	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	547 (98.7%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	62.6	1484^th of 4627 public elementary schools	67.9%		60.3	1565^th of 4651 public elementary schools	66.4%	81	0.0	46.8	53.8	58.3	54.6	53.5	64.0	$10,238
L B Johnson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1801 E Sprague St	Edinburg	78539	Hidalgo County	Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 289-2358	402	26	15.2	84.6%	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	398 (99.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	54.2	1900^th of 4627 public elementary schools	58.9%		53.6	1930^th of 4651 public elementary schools	58.5%	30		40.4	43.1	60.9	42.1	55.4	64.1	$11,102
Travis Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1200 S 21st Ave	Edinburg	78539	Hidalgo County	Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 289-2354	337	25	13.2	86.4%	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	333 (98.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40.6	2701^st of 4627 public elementary schools	41.6%		38.2	2907^th of 4651 public elementary schools	37.5%	206		58.7	39.6	51.0	42.6	43.8	31.4	$12,301
Escandon Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1100 E Trenton Rd	Edinburg	78539	Hidalgo County	Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 289-2545	605	39	15.6	78.7%	5 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	598 (98.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	64	1400^th of 4627 public elementary schools	69.7%		67.7	1221^st of 4651 public elementary schools	73.7%	179		50.6	47.1	69.4	50.6	42.7	75.6	$10,354
Austin Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1023 E Kuhn St	Edinburg	78539	Hidalgo County	Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 289-2331	366	26	14.0	86.6%	4 (1.1%)	3 (0.8%)	359 (98.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	84.4	598^th of 4627 public elementary schools	87.1%		94.7	195^th of 4651 public elementary schools	95.8%	403		84.0	57.1	69.1	88.0	57.1	83.3	$13,000
Lincoln Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1319 E Lovett St	Edinburg	78539	Hidalgo County	Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 289-2525	400	28	14.2	89.3%	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	394 (98.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42.8	2528^th of 4627 public elementary schools	45.4%		57.2	1714^th of 4651 public elementary schools	63.1%	814		35.3	48.4	57.4	37.3	53.2	38.9	$11,533
Jefferson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	904 S 12th Ave	Edinburg	78539	Hidalgo County	Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 289-2385	511	34	15.1	64.8%	10 (2.0%)	2 (0.4%)	494 (96.7%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	87.9	458^th of 4627 public elementary schools	90.1%		89.1	405^th of 4651 public elementary schools	91.3%	53		82.3	69.6	77.6	77.5	66.1	53.5	$11,538

Frequently Asked Questions about Dr Thomas Esparza Elementary

Is Dr Thomas Esparza Elementary a good school?

Dr Thomas Esparza Elementary ranks 2020^th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Dr Thomas Esparza Elementary in?

Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District

What schools do graduates of Dr Thomas Esparza Elementary attend?

Students who attend Dr Thomas Esparza Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Francisco Barrientes Middle
High : Edinburg High School

What is the racial makeup of Dr Thomas Esparza Elementary?

Students at Dr Thomas Esparza Elementary are 100% Hispanic.

How many students attend Dr Thomas Esparza Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 541 students attended Dr Thomas Esparza Elementary.

Rate Dr Thomas Esparza Elementary!

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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.