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Ben Milam Elementary

Q: Is Ben Milam Elementary a good school?

Ben Milam Elementary ranks 1511 th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1511^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 67% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Ben Milam Elementary in Harlingen, TX, is a PK-5 school in the Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District that serves 389 students in a high-poverty area, with 97% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. The school is in the midst of a remarkable turnaround, climbing from the 11th percentile statewide in 2022-2023 to the 67th percentile in 2025-2026 and earning a 3-star rating. This explosive growth of 56 percentile points in just three years sets Ben Milam apart from nearby schools like Jefferson Elementary, which has a similar poverty rate but ranks in the 27th percentile overall.

Ben Milam is especially effective at serving its low-income students, ranking in the 86th percentile for this group—significantly higher than its overall rank. The school also shows strong academic strengths, with 5th graders achieving a 60.42% proficiency rate in math, outpacing both the district (48.93%) and state (47.38%) averages. In science, 5th graders posted a 38.6% proficiency rate, dramatically higher than the district (28.23%) and state (29.57%) averages. This performance in core subjects even exceeds nearby charter schools like Horizon Montessori III - Stem Academy and Jubilee Harlingen, particularly in math.

An interesting development is a growing gender gap: male students now rank in the 77th percentile, while female students rank in the 56th percentile—a 21-point difference that warrants attention. The school also has a high student-teacher ratio of 17:1 despite spending $10,768 per student, suggesting resources are directed toward support services rather than smaller class sizes. While Bowie Elementary remains the district's top performer, Ben Milam is closing the gap, even outperforming Bowie in 3rd grade math (55.81% vs. 46.15%). The key challenge will be sustaining this momentum and addressing the emerging gender disparity.

389

Students ?

17.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,675

Per pupil spending ?

97.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1215 Rangerville Rd
Harlingen, TX 78550-7608

(956) 427-3150

District: Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District

Students who attend Ben Milam Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Coakley Middle
High:	Harlingen Collegiate High School
	Harlingen H S - South

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

95.6%

White:

4.1%

Two or more races:

0.3%

See top rated Texas elementary schools

Compare Ben Milam Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 45th percentile in 2016 → 67th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 22 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Texas median (67th percentile)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school55%

District avg56%

Texas avg51%

1,511^th of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Top 33%▲ up 23 pts since 2016

From bottom 45% (2016) to top 33% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 17Elementary Schools in the Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District

278^th of 951Harlingen 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	62.1	1511 of 4627	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	52.6	1986 of 4651	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	41.6	2752 of 4710	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	17.8	4128 of 4647	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.2	3774 of 4581	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.6	4308 of 4578	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	59.7	1526 of 4479	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.9	1692 of 4359	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2017	66.1	1201 of 4329	72.3%	★★★★☆
2016	48.4	2377 of 4286	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2015	60.4	1760 of 4320	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2014	50.0	2331 of 4260	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2013	22.0	3722 of 4221	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	37.1	3039 of 4206	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	48.4	2507 of 4095	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2010	39.5	2852 of 3937	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	41.3	2679 of 3884	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2008	47.1	2325 of 3768	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2007	29.9	3075 of 3724	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	17.8	3223 of 3476	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	35.1	2660 of 3475	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	44.4	2290 of 3465	33.9%	★★☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	31.2	3440 of 4461	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.8	4151 of 4331	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	65.5	1028 of 4295	76.1%	★★★★☆
2018	49.5	1967 of 4240	53.6%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	69.7	629 of 2918	78.4%	★★★★☆
2024	51.8	1575 of 3668	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	28.5	2848 of 3556	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.8	2719 of 3487	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.6	3292 of 3446	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	60.5	1049 of 3333	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.2	1208 of 3226	62.6%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	51.6	2000 of 4575	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	52.7	1619 of 3744	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.8	2506 of 4658	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	25.9	3671 of 4588	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.6	3830 of 4561	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	16.9	4094 of 4499	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	62.3	1372 of 4348	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.8	1497 of 4306	65.2%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2023	33.3	2473 of 2980	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.8	2626 of 2958	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.5	2740 of 3006	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	66.2	1089 of 3184	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.7	1347 of 3106	56.6%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	69.8	953 of 4413	78.4%	★★★★☆
2025	56.1	1422 of 3644	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.8	2007 of 4465	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	23.1	3794 of 4401	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.9	3582 of 4376	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.2	4046 of 4329	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	66.3	1047 of 4188	75.0%	★★★★☆
2018	62.0	1258 of 4168	69.8%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	75.6	642 of 4520	85.8%	★★★★☆
2025	61.3	1167 of 3705	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.8	1658 of 4594	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	21.7	4020 of 4521	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.6	3757 of 4477	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.0	4178 of 4451	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	71.5	727 of 4309	83.1%	★★★★☆
2018	63.5	1183 of 4264	72.3%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	71.2	1049 of 4582	77.1%	★★★★☆
2025	47.5	1848 of 3739	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.3	2674 of 4647	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	11.8	4358 of 4585	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	25.8	3651 of 4563	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.1	4291 of 4498	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	55.9	1659 of 4357	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	51.0	1944 of 4319	55.0%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	52.0	1612 of 4301	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	45.0	1862 of 3549	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.2	3121 of 4292	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.4	3646 of 4086	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	35.2	2649 of 3952	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	30.3	2783 of 3799	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	49.7	1437 of 3684	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	43.7	1782 of 3558	49.9%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	78.0	405 of 2612	84.5%	★★★★☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)86th percentile+18 vs school

White (2025)84th percentile+27 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)78th percentile+21 vs school

Hispanic (2026)78th percentile+11 vs school

Male (2026)77th percentile+10 vs school

Special Education (2026)63rd percentile-5 vs school

Female (2026)56th percentile-11 vs school

At Risk (2022)23rd percentile+5 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2023)17th percentile+6 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Reading56%~ state avg

Mathematics54%+7 vs state

★

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Schools Near Ben Milam 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 EOC Algebra I (2026)	STAAR EOC Biology (2026)	STAAR EOC English I Reading (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 EOC Algebra I End of Course	STAAR EOC Biology End of Course	STAAR EOC English I Reading 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
Ben Milam Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1215 Rangerville Rd	Harlingen	78550	Cameron County	Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 427-3150	389	23	17.0	97.2%	16 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	372 (95.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	62.1	1511^th of 4627 public elementary schools	67.3%		52.6	1986^th of 4651 public elementary schools	57.3%	475				53.5	45.0	66.7				55.8	43.9	60.4					$10,675
Lamar Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1100 S M St	Harlingen	78550	Cameron County	Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 427-3130	401	28	14.1	88.5%	13 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	387 (96.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41.3	2634^th of 4627 public elementary schools	43.1%		40.9	2711^th of 4651 public elementary schools	41.7%	77				61.3	45.9	50.0				30.7	42.6	38.7					$11,251
Houston Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	301 E Taft Ave	Harlingen	78550	Cameron County	Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 427-3110	420	29	14.6	90.7%	9 (2.1%)	2 (0.5%)	408 (97.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	60.9	1573^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	66.0%		45.3	2428^th of 4651 public elementary schools	47.8%	855				52.2	60.7	56.5				58.7	51.8	43.5					$11,825
Bowie Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	309 W Lincoln Ave	Harlingen	78550	Cameron County	Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 427-3080	335	21	16.2	93.4%	5 (1.5%)	2 (0.6%)	322 (96.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.8%)	72.9	1020^th of 4627 public elementary schools	78.0%		71.1	1087^th of 4651 public elementary schools	76.6%	67				38.5	65.1	77.1				46.2	71.4	77.1					$10,598
Jefferson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	601 S J St	Harlingen	78550	Cameron County	Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 427-3120	259	17	15.0	94.2%	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	256 (98.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31.1	3362^nd of 4627 public elementary schools	27.3%		23.1	3849^th of 4651 public elementary schools	17.2%	487				43.3	46.7	33.3				33.3	50.0	16.7					$13,366
Travis Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	600 E Polk Ave	Harlingen	78550	Cameron County	Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 427-3170	294	17	16.9	98.0%	4 (1.4%)	1 (0.3%)	289 (98.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	61.2	1565^th of 4627 public elementary schools	66.2%		35.8	3068^th of 4651 public elementary schools	34.0%	1503				53.9	51.2	71.4				51.3	46.5	50.0					$10,834
Crockett Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1406 W Jefferson St	Harlingen	78550	Cameron County	Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 427-3090	234	14	16.5	94.0%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	234 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41.2	2646^th of 4627 public elementary schools	42.8%		38.1	2918^th of 4651 public elementary schools	37.3%	272				40.6	36.6	62.5				36.4	48.8	41.5					$13,218
Horizon Montessori III - Stem Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	2802 S 77 Sunshine Strip	Harlingen	78550	Cameron County	Horizon Montessori Public Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 423-8200	291	19	15.0	70.8%	12 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	273 (93.8%)	6 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40.6	2700^th of 4627 public elementary schools	41.6%		44.6	2466^th of 4651 public elementary schools	47.0%	234	62.5		87.5	40.9	37.9	61.1	53.3	40.0		50.0	37.9	38.9	33.3	40.0		37.5	$9,065
Jubilee Harlingen	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	123 S Palm Ct Dr	Harlingen	78552	Cameron County	Jubilee Academies	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 708-2030	377	22	17.0	80.1%	18 (4.8%)	1 (0.3%)	353 (93.6%)	4 (1.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	62.2	1504^th of 4627 public elementary schools	67.5%		51.3	2063^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	55.6%	559	46.2	61.5		88.9	39.1	66.7	40.0	62.5	51.9	80.6	53.2	58.1	24.0		45.2	16.0	$9,801
Treasure Hills Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2525 Haine Dr	Harlingen	78550	Cameron County	Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 427-3180	758	49	15.3	69.4%	40 (5.3%)	6 (0.8%)	696 (91.8%)	11 (1.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.5%)	50.9	2070^th of 4627 public elementary schools	55.3%		45.8	2396^th of 4651 public elementary schools	48.5%	326				46.5	56.4	64.7				34.2	50.9	42.2					$9,099

Frequently Asked Questions about Ben Milam Elementary

What district is Ben Milam Elementary in?

Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District

Is Ben Milam Elementary a good school?

Ben Milam Elementary ranks 1511^th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Ben Milam Elementary?

Students at Ben Milam Elementary are 96% Hispanic, 4% White.

How many students attend Ben Milam Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 389 students attended Ben Milam Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Ben Milam Elementary attend?

Students who attend Ben Milam Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Coakley Middle
High : Harlingen Collegiate High School
High : Harlingen H S - South

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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.