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Macdonell Elementary

Q: Is Macdonell Elementary a good school?

Macdonell Elementary ranks 1214 th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1214^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 74% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Macdonell Elementary in Laredo, TX, is a PK-5 public school in the Laredo Independent School District (Isd) serving 426 students, with over 98% of its students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, and it has achieved a remarkable turnaround from a 1-star rating to a 5-star status in recent years.

Macdonell Elementary stands out for its exceptional performance with students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, ranking in the 99th percentile statewide for effectiveness with this group in 2023-2024. This is a stark contrast to its nearest neighbor, Bruni Elementary, which serves similar demographics but has remained consistently low-performing. Macdonell also excels in supporting special education students, ranking in the 95th percentile statewide in 2024-2025. The school's dramatic rise from the 11th percentile in 2021-2022 to the 74th percentile in 2025-2026 is unique among nearby schools like Heights Elementary and Farias Elementary, which have been consistently high-performing. However, Macdonell shows inconsistent grade-level performance, with 4th graders significantly outperforming the district and state in Reading and Math, while 3rd and 5th graders struggle, particularly in Reading.

This "cohort effect" is less pronounced at nearby high-performers like Heights, which shows strong performance across all grades. Macdonell is part of a cluster of high-performing elementary schools within Laredo ISD, including Leyendecker Elementary and J C Martin Junior Elementary, all within a 2-mile radius. A key area for future focus is 5th Grade Science, where only 34.9% of students were proficient in 2024-2025, significantly below the district average and far behind Heights (92.1%) and Farias (73.3%). The proximity of Bruni Elementary highlights that a school's success is not solely determined by its community's socioeconomic status, but by the specific practices and leadership within the school itself.

426

Students ?

13.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,006

Per pupil spending ?

98.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1606 Benavides
Laredo, TX 78040-3790

(956) 273-4000

District: Laredo Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Macdonell Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Christen Middle
High:	Martin High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

99.1%

White:

0.9%

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Compare Macdonell Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 25th percentile in 2016 → 74th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Texas average (61% vs 51% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 49 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Texas median (74th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school61%

District avg66%

Texas avg51%

1,214^th of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Top 26%▲ up 49 pts since 2016

From bottom 25% (2016) to top 26% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

13^th of 20Elementary Schools in the Laredo Independent School District (Isd)

253^rd of 951Laredo 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	68.3	1214 of 4627	73.8%	★★★★☆
2025	81.7	693 of 4651	85.1%	★★★★☆
2024	88.3	440 of 4710	90.7%	★★★★★
2023	26.7	3582 of 4647	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.2	4090 of 4581	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.2	3293 of 4578	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	57.0	1666 of 4479	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	39.2	2603 of 4359	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	22.1	3655 of 4329	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	31.2	3227 of 4286	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	25.8	3536 of 4320	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	18.7	3863 of 4260	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	15.8	3947 of 4221	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	40.7	2855 of 4206	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2011	73.4	945 of 4095	76.9%	★★★★☆
2010	69.8	1128 of 3937	71.3%	★★★★☆
2009	48.7	2312 of 3884	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2008	29.6	3137 of 3768	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	58.1	1790 of 3724	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2006	43.9	2339 of 3476	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2005	23.5	3067 of 3475	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	37.7	2574 of 3465	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	38.2	2931 of 4461	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.4	2690 of 4331	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	67.0	946 of 4295	78.0%	★★★★☆
2018	51.0	1869 of 4240	55.9%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	86.7	257 of 2918	91.2%	★★★★★
2024	90.6	202 of 3668	94.5%	★★★★★
2023	31.8	2689 of 3556	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.5	3278 of 3487	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	23.9	3011 of 3446	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	55.2	1305 of 3333	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	39.8	2042 of 3226	36.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	67.5	1215 of 4575	73.4%	★★★★☆
2025	84.0	428 of 3744	88.6%	★★★★☆
2024	88.6	362 of 4658	92.2%	★★★★★
2023	23.5	3842 of 4588	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.8	4248 of 4561	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	26.4	3422 of 4499	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	51.2	1977 of 4348	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	32.1	3119 of 4306	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	57.9	1585 of 3075	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	69.8	727 of 2619	72.2%	★★★★☆
2023	15.7	2800 of 2980	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	23.2	2641 of 2958	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.2	2469 of 3006	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	58.2	1613 of 3184	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.9	2033 of 3106	34.5%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	72.5	831 of 4413	81.2%	★★★★☆
2025	88.8	221 of 3644	93.9%	★★★★★
2024	92.3	147 of 4465	96.7%	★★★★★
2023	32.4	3244 of 4401	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.3	3893 of 4376	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	34.5	2951 of 4329	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	60.6	1343 of 4188	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	44.6	2299 of 4168	44.8%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	77.5	570 of 4520	87.4%	★★★★☆
2025	92.3	105 of 3705	97.2%	★★★★★
2024	96.1	51 of 4594	98.9%	★★★★★
2023	37.9	3027 of 4521	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	25.3	3779 of 4477	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	37.1	2918 of 4451	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	68.0	909 of 4309	78.9%	★★★★☆
2018	52.6	1863 of 4264	56.3%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	66.7	1233 of 4582	73.1%	★★★★☆
2025	83.4	478 of 3739	87.2%	★★★★☆
2024	83.4	570 of 4647	87.7%	★★★★☆
2023	31.2	3319 of 4585	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.3	3849 of 4563	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	32.2	3024 of 4498	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	63.9	1286 of 4357	70.5%	★★★★☆
2018	46.9	2157 of 4319	50.1%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	88.5	228 of 4301	94.7%	★★★★★
2025	88.5	174 of 3549	95.1%	★★★★★
2024	84.8	309 of 4292	92.8%	★★★★★
2023	25.9	3422 of 4086	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.8	3638 of 3952	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	30.7	2752 of 3799	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	83.2	230 of 3684	93.8%	★★★★★
2018	45.5	1665 of 3558	53.2%	★★★☆☆

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)

Special Education (2026)95th percentile+21 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)91st percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)87th percentile+14 vs school

Hispanic (2026)81st percentile+7 vs school

Female (2026)73rd percentile~ school

Male (2026)73rd percentile~ school

Gifted and Talented (2026)48th percentile-25 vs school

At Risk (2022)34th percentile+24 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics66%+19 vs state

Reading55%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Macdonell 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	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 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
Macdonell Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1606 Benavides	Laredo	78040	Webb County	Laredo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 273-4000	426	32	13.3	98.6%	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	422 (99.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	68.3	1214^th of 4627 public elementary schools	73.8%		81.7	693^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	85.1%	521						30.2	80.0	55.2	53.1	73.3	74.1	$10,006
Bruni Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1508 San Eduardo	Laredo	78040	Webb County	Laredo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 273-3000	441	30	14.7	98.4%	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	439 (99.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	50.1	2109^th of 4627 public elementary schools	54.4%		52.2	2007^th of 4651 public elementary schools	56.8%	102			25.0		22.2	46.8	57.5	62.2	21.0	61.1	36.4	$10,896
Leyendecker Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1311 Garden St	Laredo	78040	Webb County	Laredo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 273-3800	406	30	13.5	100.0%	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	399 (98.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	87.5	479^th of 4627 public elementary schools	89.6%		92.8	281^st of 4651 public elementary schools	94.0%	198						57.1	78.2	66.7	61.9	98.2	100.0	$10,731
Dovalina Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1700 W Anna Ave	Laredo	78040	Webb County	Laredo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 273-3320	399	28	14.2	99.5%	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	398 (99.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	85.1	574^th of 4627 public elementary schools	87.6%		38.4	2898^th of 4651 public elementary schools	37.7%	2324			80.0		100.0	60.9	76.9	92.1	47.8	67.3	94.6	$10,514
J C Martin Junior Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1600 Monterrey Ave	Laredo	78040	Webb County	Laredo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 273-4100	435	30	14.5	99.5%	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	428 (98.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	83.5	642^nd of 4627 public elementary schools	86.1%		90	370^th of 4651 public elementary schools	92.0%	272	100.0					100.0	94.7	58.6	94.7	89.5	51.7	$11,153
Don Jose Gallego	Public	PK, KG-5	520 Clark Blvd	Laredo	78040	Webb County	Laredo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 273-3100	557	38	14.6	98.7%	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	556 (99.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	60.6	1590^th of 4627 public elementary schools	65.6%		52.2	2013^th of 4651 public elementary schools	56.7%	423		50.0	50.0	83.3	16.7	58.1	65.5	65.2	37.8	58.8	37.1	$8,888
T Sanchez Elementary / H Ochoa Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	211 E Ash St	Laredo	78041	Webb County	Laredo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 273-4500	569	36	15.7	98.2%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	569 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	73.5	1000^th of 4627 public elementary schools	78.4%		59.8	1591^st of 4651 public elementary schools	65.8%	591						53.7	58.8	59.0	56.7	77.7	60.7	$9,720
Santa Maria Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3817 Santa Maria	Laredo	78041	Webb County	Laredo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 273-4600	465	34	13.5	99.4%	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	462 (99.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	50.6	2084^th of 4627 public elementary schools	55.0%		55.5	1804^th of 4651 public elementary schools	61.2%	280						63.2	39.7	74.6	38.6	34.3	50.0	$10,344
Tarver Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3000 Tilden Ave	Laredo	78040	Webb County	Laredo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 273-4800	421	29	14.4	95.2%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	421 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	72.8	1024^th of 4627 public elementary schools	77.9%		55.8	1788^th of 4651 public elementary schools	61.6%	764						59.6	75.5	53.7	42.6	67.9	70.4	$11,683
Farias Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1510 Chicago St	Laredo	78041	Webb County	Laredo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 273-3400	597	36	16.6	100.0%	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	592 (99.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	98.2	47^th of 4627 public elementary schools	99.0%		81.5	707^th of 4651 public elementary schools	84.8%	660						79.4	86.9	97.5	79.4	83.3	96.3	$8,705

Frequently Asked Questions about Macdonell Elementary

What schools do graduates of Macdonell Elementary attend?

Students who attend Macdonell Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Christen Middle
High : Martin High School

Is Macdonell Elementary a good school?

Macdonell Elementary ranks 1214^th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Macdonell Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 426 students attended Macdonell Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Macdonell Elementary?

Students at Macdonell Elementary are 99% Hispanic.

What district is Macdonell Elementary in?

Laredo 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.