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Sam Fordyce Elementary

Q: Is Sam Fordyce Elementary a good school?

Sam Fordyce Elementary ranks 1891 st of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1891^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 59% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Sam Fordyce Elementary in Sullivan City, TX, is a PK-5 school within the La Joya Independent School District (Isd) that serves 356 students and has shown remarkable improvement, rising from the 20th percentile statewide in 2020-2021 to the 59th percentile in the most recent data. This school stands out for its exceptional ability to support students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, with over 98% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. In fact, Sam Fordyce ranks in the 93rd percentile statewide for its effectiveness with low socio-economic status students, earning a 5-star rating—a stark contrast to nearby schools like Rosendo Benavides Elementary, which serves a similar population but ranks in the 11th percentile overall.

One of the school's strongest areas is mathematics, where proficiency rates consistently exceed both district and state averages. For example, in the most recent testing year, 56.1% of 3rd graders were proficient in math, compared to just 38.64% district-wide and 44.33% statewide. This is a significant advantage over nearby schools like Leo J Leo Elementary, where only 9.3% of 3rd graders met the math standard. Additionally, Sam Fordyce has an outstanding Spanish-language reading program, with 76.92% of 3rd graders proficient on the STAAR Spanish Reading test, far exceeding the district's 28.57% and the state's 28.3%. This suggests a highly effective bilingual program that supports students in their native language.

While the school excels in many areas, there are some interesting dynamics to note. The school is significantly more effective for female students (74th percentile) than for male students (37th percentile), a gap that has widened recently and may warrant attention. Additionally, Sam Fordyce has shown extraordinary success with migrant students, ranking 2nd out of 44 schools statewide for this subgroup in a recent year. However, support for gifted and talented students has declined, dropping from the 63rd to the 35th percentile. Overall, Sam Fordyce is a school that is beating the odds, particularly in math and bilingual education, and offers a strong option for families in the Sullivan City area.

356

Students ?

12.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,186

Per pupil spending ?

98.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

801 Fm 886
Sullivan City, TX 78595

(956) 323-2490

District: La Joya Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Sam Fordyce Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Lorenzo De Zavala Middle
High:	Jimmy Carter Early College High School
	La Joya High School
	Thelma Rosa Salinas Stem Early College High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

100.0%

See top rated Texas elementary schools

Compare Sam Fordyce Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 79th percentile in 2023 → 59th in 2026

Strengths

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

✓Above the Texas median (59th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 79th-percentile peak (2023) to 59th (2026)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school52%

District avg44%

Texas avg50%

1,891^st of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Top 41%▲ up 7 pts since 2016

From top 48% (2016) to top 41% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 21Elementary Schools in the La Joya Independent School District (Isd)

583^rd of 951La Joya 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	54.4	1891 of 4627	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	65.2	1338 of 4651	71.2%	★★★★☆
2024	65.4	1325 of 4710	71.9%	★★★★☆
2023	74.9	962 of 4647	79.3%	★★★★☆
2022	52.2	2028 of 4581	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	22.5	3677 of 4578	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	61.1	1469 of 4479	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.7	1507 of 4359	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2017	48.6	2054 of 4329	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	55.2	2043 of 4286	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	50.1	2315 of 4320	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2014	31.2	3354 of 4260	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	28.4	3468 of 4221	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	40.6	2859 of 4206	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2011	57.9	1944 of 4095	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2010	43.7	2662 of 3937	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2009	41.0	2687 of 3884	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2008	66.8	1255 of 3768	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2007	50.1	2197 of 3724	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2006	47.8	2154 of 3476	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2005	49.3	2052 of 3475	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2004	74.4	718 of 3465	79.3%	★★★★☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	64.6	1145 of 4461	74.3%	★★★★☆
2021	23.6	3808 of 4331	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	67.9	897 of 4295	79.1%	★★★★☆
2018	53.3	1734 of 4240	59.1%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	59.0	987 of 2918	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	78.1	510 of 3668	86.1%	★★★★☆
2023	72.4	626 of 3556	82.4%	★★★★☆
2022	48.3	1752 of 3487	49.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	21.2	3138 of 3446	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	62.6	937 of 3333	71.9%	★★★★☆
2018	47.8	1612 of 3226	50.0%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	68.2	1173 of 4575	74.4%	★★★★☆
2025	60.0	1281 of 3744	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	79.3	708 of 4658	84.8%	★★★★☆
2023	80.1	692 of 4588	84.9%	★★★★☆
2022	62.9	1431 of 4561	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	26.9	3390 of 4499	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	57.8	1612 of 4348	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.3	1473 of 4306	65.8%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	50.5	1986 of 3075	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	50.4	1672 of 2619	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	66.2	1090 of 2980	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	69.1	830 of 2958	71.9%	★★★★☆
2021	24.5	2484 of 3006	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	75.4	410 of 3184	87.1%	★★★★☆
2018	73.1	622 of 3106	80.0%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	60.9	1406 of 4413	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	69.5	806 of 3644	77.9%	★★★★☆
2024	77.9	616 of 4465	86.2%	★★★★☆
2023	80.6	503 of 4401	88.6%	★★★★☆
2022	59.3	1497 of 4376	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	27.9	3382 of 4329	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	67.5	995 of 4188	76.2%	★★★★☆
2018	66.0	1067 of 4168	74.4%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	69.5	925 of 4520	79.5%	★★★★☆
2025	76.8	472 of 3705	87.3%	★★★★☆
2024	84.0	334 of 4594	92.7%	★★★★★
2023	83.5	336 of 4521	92.6%	★★★★★
2022	65.8	1132 of 4477	74.7%	★★★★☆
2021	27.3	3571 of 4451	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	74.3	622 of 4309	85.6%	★★★★☆
2018	72.3	757 of 4264	82.2%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	37.9	2904 of 4582	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	64.1	1121 of 3739	70.0%	★★★★☆
2024	63.8	1376 of 4647	70.4%	★★★★☆
2023	66.6	1272 of 4585	72.3%	★★★★☆
2022	38.7	2826 of 4563	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	22.1	3727 of 4498	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	62.1	1368 of 4357	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.6	1711 of 4319	60.4%	★★★☆☆

Migrant

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2023	94.9	2 of 44	95.5%	★★★★★
2019	62.0	31 of 93	66.7%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	52.9	1566 of 4301	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	74.8	507 of 3549	85.7%	★★★★☆
2024	52.5	1738 of 4292	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	67.0	801 of 4086	80.4%	★★★★☆
2022	56.3	1230 of 3952	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	19.0	3707 of 3799	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	14.2	3642 of 3684	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	28.0	2844 of 3558	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Migrant (2023)95th percentile+16 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)80th percentile+20 vs school

Female (2026)74th percentile+15 vs school

At Risk (2022)74th percentile+19 vs school

Hispanic (2026)68th percentile+9 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)66th percentile-5 vs school

Special Education (2026)64th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2026)37th percentile-23 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)35th percentile-24 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics54%+7 vs state

Reading48%-7 vs state

★

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Schools Near Sam Fordyce 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 3rd Grade	STAAR Spanish Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Spanish Reading 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
Sam Fordyce Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	801 Fm 886	Sullivan City	78595	Hidalgo County	La Joya Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 323-2490	356	28	12.6	98.6%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	356 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54.4	1891^st of 4627 public elementary schools	59.1%		65.2	1338^th of 4651 public elementary schools	71.2%	553	76.9			44.8	41.1	57.5	56.1	50.9	57.5	$9,186
Rosendo Benavides Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1882 El Pinto Rd	Sullivan City	78595	Hidalgo County	La Joya Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 323-2360	267	21	12.7	95.5%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	267 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18.7	4117^th of 4627 public elementary schools	11.0%		19.5	4053^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	12.9%	64	16.7	16.7	33.3	21.4	30.8	53.9	15.0	31.3	29.0	$12,377
Tabasco Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	223 S Leo Ave	La Joya	78560	Hidalgo County	La Joya Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 323-2440	544	34	15.8	90.4%	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	542 (99.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44.4	2424^th of 4627 public elementary schools	47.6%		53.6	1926^th of 4651 public elementary schools	58.6%	498	50.0	64.7	47.1	44.7	43.6	57.8	49.2	28.2	53.2	$8,272
Idea La Joya Academy	Public, Charter	K-5	725 E Expy 83	La Joya	78560	Hidalgo County	Idea Public Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	No	(956) 766-3100	656	32	20.5	90.5%	12 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	644 (98.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10.9	4450^th of 4627 public elementary schools	3.8%		12.4	4397^th of 4651 public elementary schools	5.5%	53			71.4	26.1	30.7	41.1	21.2	23.1	18.5	$13,185
Grulla Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	443 Old Military Rd	Grulla	78548	Starr County	Rio Grande City Grulla Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 370-4260	414	30	13.7	97.3%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	414 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	66.4	1289^th of 4627 public elementary schools	72.1%		70.3	1122^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	75.9%	167				46.8	65.5	53.5	44.7	74.1	62.0	$8,478
Alto Bonito Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	753 Fm 2360	Rio Grande City	78582	Starr County	Rio Grande City Grulla Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 370-4238	588	34	17.4	99.3%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	588 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	57.1	1756^th of 4627 public elementary schools	62.0%		52.8	1979^th of 4651 public elementary schools	57.5%	223				54.7	39.7	57.5	70.7	58.9	41.5	$7,141
John F Kennedy Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1801 N Diamond Ave	Penitas	78576	Hidalgo County	La Joya Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 323-2330	676	40	16.9	83.1%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	676 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	47.1	2262^nd of 4627 public elementary schools	51.1%		57.7	1685^th of 4651 public elementary schools	63.8%	577				36.0	52.8	50.5	52.2	58.3	40.2	$7,538
Corina Pena Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4800 Liberty Blvd	Penitas	78576	Hidalgo County	La Joya Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 323-2750	523	35	14.9	96.6%	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	522 (99.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28.4	3531^st of 4627 public elementary schools	23.7%		25.4	3705^th of 4651 public elementary schools	20.3%	174	26.9	21.4	22.2	34.2	33.9	48.1	30.2	40.3	41.4	$12,418
William J Clinton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	39202 Mile 7 Rd	Penitas	78576	Hidalgo County	La Joya Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 323-2740	463	31	15.1	96.3%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	463 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33.4	3194^th of 4627 public elementary schools	31.0%		48.1	2255^th of 4651 public elementary schools	51.5%	939	32.1	42.9	35.3	41.9	52.5	48.8	33.9	34.4	37.9	$9,023
Guillermo Flores Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1913 Roque Salinas	Mission	78572	Hidalgo County	La Joya Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 323-2760	452	29	15.6	93.1%	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	451 (99.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37.1	2944^th of 4627 public elementary schools	36.4%		34	3190^th of 4651 public elementary schools	31.4%	246	40.0	33.3	57.1	44.6	38.9	45.8	47.0	43.3	36.4	$9,534

Frequently Asked Questions about Sam Fordyce Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Sam Fordyce Elementary?

Students at Sam Fordyce Elementary are 100% Hispanic.

What district is Sam Fordyce Elementary in?

La Joya Independent School District (Isd)

How many students attend Sam Fordyce Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 356 students attended Sam Fordyce Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Sam Fordyce Elementary attend?

Students who attend Sam Fordyce Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Lorenzo De Zavala Middle
High : Jimmy Carter Early College High School
High : La Joya High School
High : Thelma Rosa Salinas Stem Early College High School

Is Sam Fordyce Elementary a good school?

Sam Fordyce Elementary ranks 1891^st of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Sam Fordyce 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.