Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Castaneda Elementary

Q: Is Castaneda Elementary a good school?

Castaneda Elementary ranks 1905 th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1905^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 59% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Castaneda Elementary is a mid-sized school in McAllen, TX, serving 374 students from Pre-Kindergarten through 5th grade as part of the McAllen Independent School District (Isd), a high-performing district ranked in the 74th percentile statewide. The school has a strong history of consistent performance, typically earning a 4-star rating, but its most recent overall ranking dropped to the 59th percentile, a notable decline from previous years when it ranked in the 74th-80th percentile range. This recent dip is a key point of interest, especially when compared to nearby schools like Milam Elementary, which maintained an 84th percentile ranking, and Rayburn Elementary, which improved to the 92nd percentile.

Castaneda’s most impressive strength is its exceptional performance with students from low socio-economic backgrounds. In the 2024-2025 school year, it ranked in the 93rd percentile statewide for effectiveness with this group, earning a 5-star rating—a remarkable achievement compared to nearby schools with similar poverty rates, such as Wilson Elementary (13th percentile) and Alvarez Elementary (47th percentile). The school also boasts a strong history in science, with 5th-grade scores in 2024-2025 (54.84% proficient) far exceeding district and state averages, and outperforming even high-performing neighbors like Rayburn Elementary. However, math performance is inconsistent: 4th graders consistently excel above district averages, while 3rd and 5th graders lag behind, a pattern not seen at nearby schools like Milam or Rayburn.

The recent overall decline appears driven by drops in performance for Hispanic and Special Education students, which fell from the 87th to 67th percentile and 78th to 64th percentile, respectively, between 2024-2025 and 2025-2026. Despite this, Castaneda’s per-student spending ($11,390) is above average but not an outlier, suggesting its success with low-SES students stems from effective resource allocation rather than total spending. The school’s ability to match the performance of higher-income schools like Milam in some areas, despite serving a population where 74% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, highlights its potential. The primary focus for improvement should be addressing the inconsistent math scores and recent subgroup declines to return to its historically strong overall ranking.

374

Students ?

13.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,209

Per pupil spending ?

74.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4100 N 34th
McAllen, TX 78504

(956) 623-8882

District: McAllen Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Castaneda Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	De Leon Middle
High:	Rowe High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

93.6%

White:

1.6%

African American:

1.6%

See top rated Texas elementary schools

Compare Castaneda Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 80th percentile in 2017 → 59th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Texas median (59th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 80th-percentile peak (2017) to 59th (2026)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school51%

District avg57%

Texas avg51%

1,905^th of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Top 41%▲ up 8 pts since 2016

From top 49% (2016) to top 41% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

13^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	54.1	1905 of 4627	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	70.2	1129 of 4651	75.7%	★★★★☆
2024	70.3	1115 of 4710	76.3%	★★★★☆
2023	69.5	1184 of 4647	74.5%	★★★★☆
2022	69.1	1191 of 4581	74.0%	★★★★☆
2021	57.6	1639 of 4578	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	68.2	1143 of 4479	74.5%	★★★★☆
2018	70.4	1013 of 4359	76.8%	★★★★☆
2017	75.2	860 of 4329	80.1%	★★★★☆
2016	53.8	2118 of 4286	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2015	52.3	2203 of 4320	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2014	62.4	1623 of 4260	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	65.6	1409 of 4221	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2012	56.7	1888 of 4206	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2011	75.8	778 of 4095	81.0%	★★★★☆
2010	65.7	1421 of 3937	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	60.0	1708 of 3884	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2008	53.6	2007 of 3768	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2007	62.2	1528 of 3724	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2006	59.3	1562 of 3476	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2005	55.9	1723 of 3475	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2004	45.0	2260 of 3465	34.8%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2019	77.2	126 of 1009	87.5%	★★★★☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	62.0	1292 of 4461	71.0%	★★★★☆
2021	59.3	1248 of 4331	71.2%	★★★★☆
2019	79.9	431 of 4295	90.0%	★★★★☆
2018	62.4	1177 of 4240	72.2%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	70.0	617 of 2918	78.9%	★★★★☆
2024	61.6	1091 of 3668	70.3%	★★★★☆
2023	59.4	1194 of 3556	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.0	1313 of 3487	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	61.5	935 of 3446	72.9%	★★★★☆
2019	72.2	562 of 3333	83.1%	★★★★☆
2018	64.9	836 of 3226	74.1%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	54.7	1825 of 4575	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	73.8	740 of 3744	80.2%	★★★★☆
2024	64.6	1339 of 4658	71.3%	★★★★☆
2023	65.0	1310 of 4588	71.4%	★★★★☆
2022	66.6	1247 of 4561	72.7%	★★★★☆
2021	70.3	1045 of 4499	76.8%	★★★★☆
2019	65.4	1224 of 4348	71.8%	★★★★☆
2018	71.8	953 of 4306	77.9%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	64.3	1169 of 3075	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	68.7	792 of 2619	69.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	72.2	626 of 2980	79.0%	★★★★☆
2022	63.2	1227 of 2958	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	61.9	1318 of 3006	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	70.8	756 of 3184	76.3%	★★★★☆
2018	72.2	704 of 3106	77.3%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	60.5	1435 of 4413	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	78.5	480 of 3644	86.8%	★★★★☆
2024	75.5	698 of 4465	84.4%	★★★★☆
2023	76.7	659 of 4401	85.0%	★★★★☆
2022	75.0	706 of 4376	83.9%	★★★★☆
2021	64.1	1148 of 4329	73.5%	★★★★☆
2019	74.0	684 of 4188	83.7%	★★★★☆
2018	73.5	718 of 4168	82.8%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	67.3	1023 of 4520	77.4%	★★★★☆
2025	85.2	242 of 3705	93.5%	★★★★★
2024	73.1	767 of 4594	83.3%	★★★★☆
2023	77.2	560 of 4521	87.6%	★★★★☆
2022	77.8	532 of 4477	88.1%	★★★★☆
2021	67.1	1007 of 4451	77.4%	★★★★☆
2019	73.3	660 of 4309	84.7%	★★★★☆
2018	78.7	473 of 4264	88.9%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	52.9	1929 of 4582	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	68.9	953 of 3739	74.5%	★★★★☆
2024	70.6	1099 of 4647	76.4%	★★★★☆
2023	73.2	1003 of 4585	78.1%	★★★★☆
2022	69.4	1140 of 4563	75.0%	★★★★☆
2021	41.5	2469 of 4498	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	69.3	1039 of 4357	76.2%	★★★★☆
2018	64.9	1219 of 4319	71.8%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	53.8	1531 of 4301	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	66.2	798 of 3549	77.5%	★★★★☆
2024	53.7	1664 of 4292	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.4	1074 of 4086	73.7%	★★★★☆
2022	55.1	1289 of 3952	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.2	1055 of 3684	71.4%	★★★★☆
2018	43.8	1772 of 3558	50.2%	★★★☆☆

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)

Asian (2019)88th percentile+13 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)79th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)77th percentile+19 vs school

At Risk (2022)71st percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2026)67th percentile+9 vs school

Special Education (2026)64th percentile+6 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)62nd percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)60th percentile~ school

Male (2026)58th percentile~ school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Reading60%+6 vs state

Mathematics42%-5 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Castaneda Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Castaneda Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Castaneda Elementary

Load more schools when map is moved

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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Reading 3rd Grade	STAAR Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Reading 6th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 5th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 6th Grade	Total
Castaneda Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4100 N 34th	McAllen	78504	Hidalgo County	McAllen Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 623-8882	374	27	13.8	74.3%	6 (1.6%)	6 (1.6%)	350 (93.6%)	6 (1.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.3%)	54.1	1905^th of 4627 public elementary schools	58.8%		70.2	1129^th of 4651 public elementary schools	75.7%	776					44.6	69.6	64.7		32.1	55.2	39.7		$11,209
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
Lucile Hendricks Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3900 Goldcrest	McAllen	78504	Hidalgo County	McAllen Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 971-1145	432	30	14.3	57.4%	7 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	417 (96.5%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	63.8	1414^th of 4627 public elementary schools	69.4%		69.4	1158^th of 4651 public elementary schools	75.1%	256					62.1	57.6	58.4		53.0	53.0	48.7		$12,100
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
Donna Wernecke Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	4500 Dove Ave	McAllen	78504	Hidalgo County	Sharyland Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 928-1063	631	42	14.9	64.2%	23 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	597 (94.6%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.6%)	74.4	958^th of 4627 public elementary schools	79.3%		69.6	1151^st of 4651 public elementary schools	75.3%	193	18.8	25.0	14.3	12.5	62.5	64.4	68.3	68.2	58.5	51.4	61.8	45.5	$9,034
Garza Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6300 N 29th St	McAllen	78504	Hidalgo County	McAllen Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 971-4554	409	28	14.8	73.8%	20 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	385 (94.1%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	55.1	1857^th of 4627 public elementary schools	59.9%		66.2	1299^th of 4651 public elementary schools	72.1%	558					61.0	58.3	63.8		42.9	40.0	40.6		$11,532
Milam Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3800 N Main St	McAllen	78501	Hidalgo County	McAllen Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 971-4333	811	52	15.6	53.4%	75 (9.2%)	1 (0.1%)	719 (88.7%)	10 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (0.7%)	80.5	746^th of 4627 public elementary schools	83.9%		79.8	754^th of 4651 public elementary schools	83.8%	8					62.6	70.9	73.2		55.2	61.8	60.4		$9,793
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
Rayburn Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7000 N Main St	McAllen	78504	Hidalgo County	McAllen Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 971-4363	530	34	15.4	57.5%	28 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	490 (92.5%)	8 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	90	369^th of 4627 public elementary schools	92.0%		86.9	498^th of 4651 public elementary schools	89.3%	129					67.5	82.7	90.0		54.2	77.3	72.5		$11,196
Jackson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	501 Harvey	McAllen	78501	Hidalgo County	McAllen Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 971-4277	548	39	13.8	92.0%	24 (4.4%)	3 (0.5%)	518 (94.5%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	57.2	1751^st of 4627 public elementary schools	62.2%		55.4	1813^th of 4651 public elementary schools	61.0%	62					48.2	51.3	59.3		50.0	51.9	52.3		$11,276

Frequently Asked Questions about Castaneda Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Castaneda Elementary?

Students at Castaneda Elementary are 94% Hispanic, 2% White, 2% African American, 2% Asian, 1% Two or more races.

What district is Castaneda Elementary in?

McAllen Independent School District (Isd)

Is Castaneda Elementary a good school?

Castaneda Elementary ranks 1905^th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Castaneda Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 374 students attended Castaneda Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Castaneda Elementary attend?

Students who attend Castaneda Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : De Leon Middle
High : Rowe High School

Rate Castaneda Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

TXTexas Elementary School Rankings

TXTexas District Rankings

Schools in McAllen, TX

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Castaneda Elementary!

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.