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Alvarez Elementary

Q: Is Alvarez Elementary a good school?

Alvarez Elementary ranks 3077 th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

3077^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 33% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Alvarez Elementary is a PK-5 school in the McAllen Independent School District (Isd) serving 435 students in a high-poverty area, where over 96% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

While the district is highly rated, Alvarez has recently struggled, dropping to the 33rd percentile statewide in the latest rankings. This is a stark contrast to nearby Thigpen-Zavala Elementary, which serves a nearly identical student population but ranks in the 87th percentile. The school’s most critical weakness is in 4th-grade math, where only 23.68% of students are proficient—far below the district average of 52.11% and the state average of 49.28%. This is also significantly lower than Thigpen-Zavala (74%) and Jackson Elementary (51.85%). Despite spending the most per student among nearby schools at $13,224, Alvarez’s academic results are below average, suggesting potential issues with how resources are used.

There are some bright spots: 3rd-grade reading proficiency (58.33%) actually outperforms the state average (51.08%), and the school has shown past strength with English Language Learners. However, support for Special Education and low-income students has sharply declined, dropping from 4-star to 1-star ratings in recent years. The school also faces a "leaky pipeline," where early gains in reading are lost by 5th grade. With a sharp, multi-grade decline in the latest data, Alvarez is at a critical juncture. The nearby success of Thigpen-Zavala Elementary proves that high poverty does not have to limit achievement, and Alvarez has a clear model for improvement just a mile away.

435

Students ?

15.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,669

Per pupil spending ?

96.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2606 Gumwood Ave
McAllen, TX 78501-7554

(956) 971-4471

District: McAllen Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Alvarez Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	De Leon Middle
High:	Rowe High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

96.6%

Two or more races:

2.3%

White:

0.5%

See top rated Texas elementary schools

Compare Alvarez Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 53rd percentile in 2016 → 33rd in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (40% vs 50% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 20 percentile points since 2016

!Mathematics scores 11 pts below the Texas average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school40%

District avg57%

Texas avg50%

3,077^th of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Bottom 33%▼ down 20 pts since 2016

From top 47% (2016) to bottom 33% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

16^th of 18Elementary Schools in the McAllen Independent School District (Isd)

246^th of 951McAllen 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	35.2	3077 of 4627	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	44.2	2485 of 4651	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	52.1	2048 of 4710	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	39.8	2815 of 4647	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.0	3424 of 4581	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.1	4001 of 4578	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	50.3	2021 of 4479	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.9	1688 of 4359	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2017	46.5	2157 of 4329	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2016	55.9	2010 of 4286	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2015	50.4	2299 of 4320	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2014	69.4	1253 of 4260	70.6%	★★★★☆
2013	38.8	2936 of 4221	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	51.9	2157 of 4206	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2011	59.1	1868 of 4095	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	53.3	2153 of 3937	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2009	54.7	1998 of 3884	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2008	61.0	1605 of 3768	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2007	53.0	2061 of 3724	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2006	20.3	3151 of 3476	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	33.7	2716 of 3475	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	15.2	3277 of 3465	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	40.0	2814 of 4461	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	25.3	3710 of 4331	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	72.0	698 of 4295	83.7%	★★★★☆
2018	72.3	688 of 4240	83.8%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	64.2	800 of 2918	72.6%	★★★★☆
2024	67.9	845 of 3668	77.0%	★★★★☆
2023	50.4	1659 of 3556	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	36.0	2429 of 3487	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	21.9	3110 of 3446	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	59.7	1096 of 3333	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	70.5	636 of 3226	80.3%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	34.9	3130 of 4575	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	40.4	2262 of 3744	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	63.8	1375 of 4658	70.5%	★★★★☆
2023	35.9	3052 of 4588	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.6	2916 of 4561	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	19.6	3905 of 4499	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	51.5	1967 of 4348	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.3	1821 of 4306	57.7%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2023	70.8	752 of 2980	74.8%	★★★★☆
2022	40.4	2198 of 2958	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	77.7	256 of 3106	91.8%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	41.9	2637 of 4413	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	52.1	1617 of 3644	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.9	1194 of 4465	73.3%	★★★★☆
2023	46.5	2298 of 4401	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.3	3137 of 4376	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.2	3824 of 4329	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	57.7	1516 of 4188	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.7	1234 of 4168	70.4%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	45.7	2443 of 4520	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	60.2	1224 of 3705	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	70.8	886 of 4594	80.7%	★★★★☆
2023	49.9	2192 of 4521	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	38.0	2956 of 4477	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	19.7	4041 of 4451	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	67.8	922 of 4309	78.6%	★★★★☆
2018	73.6	688 of 4264	83.9%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	37.7	2917 of 4582	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	47.2	1860 of 3739	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.5	2335 of 4647	49.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.5	2483 of 4585	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.6	3603 of 4563	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.7	4249 of 4498	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	49.6	2038 of 4357	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.0	1637 of 4319	62.1%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	32.3	3156 of 4301	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	51.4	1495 of 3549	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.2	1200 of 4292	72.0%	★★★★☆
2023	41.6	2175 of 4086	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.6	1942 of 3952	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	36.3	2323 of 3684	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.2	2148 of 3558	39.6%	★★☆☆☆

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 (2023)75th percentile+35 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)73rd percentile+26 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)46th percentile+12 vs school

Hispanic (2026)40th percentile+7 vs school

At Risk (2022)37th percentile+12 vs school

Male (2026)36th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)32nd percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)27th percentile-7 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Reading46%-8 vs state

Mathematics36%-11 vs state

★

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Schools Near Alvarez 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 EOC Algebra I (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 Spanish Reading 3rd Grade	STAAR Spanish Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Spanish Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 5th Grade	STAAR EOC Algebra I 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 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
Alvarez Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2606 Gumwood Ave	McAllen	78501	Hidalgo County	McAllen Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 971-4471	435	28	15.8	96.8%	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	420 (96.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.3%)	35.2	3077^th of 4627 public elementary schools	33.5%		44.2	2485^th of 4651 public elementary schools	46.6%	592		30.0							58.3	34.4	43.6			47.5	23.7	36.6					$10,669
Thigpen-Zavala Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2500 Galveston Ave	McAllen	78501	Hidalgo County	McAllen Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 971-4377	470	32	14.9	96.6%	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	463 (98.5%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	84.3	602^nd of 4627 public elementary schools	87.0%		87.8	462^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	90.1%	140			80.0			20.0			60.5	71.4	78.3			53.5	74.0	65.2					$10,795
Seguin Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2200 N 29th St	McAllen	78501	Hidalgo County	McAllen Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 971-4565	530	37	14.4	95.8%	19 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	511 (96.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	47.7	2230^th of 4627 public elementary schools	51.8%		70.2	1130^th of 4651 public elementary schools	75.7%	1100	20.0								48.4	45.2	72.9			35.8	44.4	39.4					$11,174
Horizon Montessori - Stem Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	320 N Main St	McAllen	78501	Hidalgo County	Horizon Montessori Public Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 631-0234	331	22	15.2	81.3%	6 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	322 (97.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	51.2	2047^th of 4627 public elementary schools	55.8%		54.2	1897^th of 4651 public elementary schools	59.2%	150							31.6	73.7	30.4	54.8	78.6	61.8	47.6	43.5	32.3	37.0	44.1	14.3	42.9	31.6	$10,546
Wilson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1200 Hackberry St	McAllen	78501	Hidalgo County	McAllen Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 971-4525	408	30	13.8	91.2%	17 (4.2%)	2 (0.5%)	387 (94.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	30.8	3385^th of 4627 public elementary schools	26.8%		19.7	4043^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	13.1%	658									62.1	31.0	50.0			44.8	27.6	34.8					$11,941
Idea McAllen Academy	Public, Charter	K-5	201 N Bentsen Rd	McAllen	78501	Hidalgo County	Idea Public Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 429-4100	738	34	21.4	78.3%	32 (4.3%)	5 (0.7%)	694 (94.0%)	7 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37.2	2939^th of 4627 public elementary schools	36.5%		46	2382^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	48.8%	557									42.5	45.5	53.9			42.5	41.7	31.3					$9,327
McAuliffe Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3000 Daffodil Ave	McAllen	78501	Hidalgo County	McAllen Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 971-4400	385	28	13.7	85.2%	14 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	369 (95.8%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	55.1	1852^nd of 4627 public elementary schools	60.0%		36.5	3021^st of 4651 public elementary schools	35.0%	1169	12.5								55.8	51.9	70.4			38.5	46.4	44.6					$13,491
Escandon Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2901 Colbath Ave	McAllen	78503	Hidalgo County	McAllen Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 971-4511	478	34	14.1	93.9%	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	474 (99.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	45.7	2347^th of 4627 public elementary schools	49.3%		44	2496^th of 4651 public elementary schools	46.3%	149	44.4	66.7							46.4	39.0	57.8			38.9	41.3	56.5					$10,403
Fields Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	500 W Dallas Ave	McAllen	78501	Hidalgo County	McAllen Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 971-4344	443	35	12.5	89.6%	8 (1.8%)	1 (0.2%)	429 (96.8%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	58.2	1699^th of 4627 public elementary schools	63.3%		54.2	1895^th of 4651 public elementary schools	59.3%	196		66.7			20.0				52.5	56.1	71.2			40.3	37.9	60.4					$13,525
Romulo D Martinez Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	2571 E 4th St	Mission	78572	Hidalgo County	Sharyland Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 584-4900	525	35	14.9	65.0%	12 (2.3%)	1 (0.2%)	504 (96.0%)	4 (0.8%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	82.1	695^th of 4627 public elementary schools	85.0%		74	964^th of 4651 public elementary schools	79.3%	269	47.1	27.3	14.3	29.4	36.4	21.4			85.0	76.6	82.1	68.0		80.0	68.8	67.9	32.0				$9,076

Frequently Asked Questions about Alvarez Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Alvarez Elementary?

Students at Alvarez Elementary are 97% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

Is Alvarez Elementary a good school?

Alvarez Elementary ranks 3077^th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Alvarez Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 435 students attended Alvarez Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Alvarez Elementary attend?

Students who attend Alvarez Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : De Leon Middle
High : Rowe High School

What district is Alvarez Elementary in?

McAllen 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.