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Michael E Fossum Middle

Public Grades 6-8
326th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 2,335 Texas Middle Schools
Better than 86% of Texas middle schools
Summary

Michael E Fossum Middle in McAllen, TX, is a high-performing traditional public school within the McAllen Independent School District (Isd), serving 791 students in grades 6 through 8 and consistently earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past decade.

Fossum Middle stands out for its exceptional academic results, particularly in advanced mathematics. For the 2025-2026 school year, 100% of its students taking the Algebra I End-of-Course exam were proficient, dramatically outpacing the district average of 69.35% and the state average of 54.03%. This consistent perfection sets it apart from nearby schools like Cathey Middle and Morris Middle, which also have high Algebra I scores but not the same track record. The school also excels in reading proficiency across all grades, with 77.55% of 7th graders proficient compared to 64.5% for the district and 54.04% for the state. Notably, Fossum is exceptionally effective at serving its economically disadvantaged students, with its low socioeconomic status subgroup ranking in the 97th percentile statewide—a 5-star performance that highlights the school's commitment to equity and closing achievement gaps.

While Fossum is a top-tier school for most student groups, its performance for White students dropped to the 12th percentile in 2024-2025, which may be a statistical anomaly due to a small sample size. The school is located in a cluster of schools with vastly different performance levels; just 1.47 miles away is Morris Middle, which ranks in the 90th percentile, while only 2.05 miles away is De Leon Middle, which ranks in the 59th percentile. The highest-performing school in the area is South Texas Independent School District (Isd) Preparatory Academy, a magnet school in the 99th percentile, but Fossum remains the top-performing traditional middle school in its immediate vicinity, offering an excellent public education option without selective admissions. Its ranking history shows remarkable stability, with a quick rebound after a pandemic-related dip, demonstrating strong institutional resilience.

791
Students ?
14.6
Student/teacher ratio ?
$9,865
Per pupil spending ?
60.2%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 7800 N Ware Rd
       McAllen, TX  78504

(956) 971-1105

District: McAllen Independent School District (Isd)


Students who attend Michael E Fossum Middle usually attend:

High:    Rowe High School

Feeder schools for Michael E Fossum Middle:

Elementary:    Blanca E Sanchez
    Garza Elementary
    Lucile Hendricks Elementary
Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
95.8%
White:
2.4%
African American:
0.8%
more
 See top rated Texas middle schools

 Compare Michael E Fossum Middle to nearby middle schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Improving — 79th percentile in 2016 → 86th in 2026
Strengths
Test scores above the Texas average (63% vs 47% meeting standards)
Ranks in the top 14% of Texas middle schools
Ranking is trending up — up 7 percentile points since 2016
Worth a look
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school63%
District avg57%
Texas avg47%
326th of 2,335
Texas public middle schools ?
Top 14%▲ up 7 pts since 2016
From top 21% (2016) to top 14% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Texas Middle Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
2nd of 6Middle Schools in the McAllen Independent School District (Isd)
246th 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202679.8326 of 233586.0%★★★★☆
202584.9240 of 234489.8%★★★★☆
202476.7392 of 237283.5%★★★★☆
202374.7426 of 233081.7%★★★★☆
202272.4457 of 225479.7%★★★★☆
202158.3788 of 225265.0%★★★☆☆
201977.8344 of 219384.3%★★★★☆
201881.1277 of 208086.7%★★★★☆
201771.7417 of 202779.4%★★★★☆
201674.5418 of 198779.0%★★★★☆
201575.2398 of 204380.5%★★★★☆
201470.1522 of 198773.7%★★★★☆
201363.7663 of 197366.4%★★★☆☆
201263.6663 of 195166.0%★★★☆☆
201161.9716 of 189562.2%★★★☆☆
201059.0772 of 180357.2%★★★☆☆
200956.4854 of 176351.6%★★★☆☆

Asian

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
201863.4206 of 58764.9%★★★☆☆

At Risk

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202272.4326 of 218285.1%★★★★☆
202153.8745 of 211864.8%★★★☆☆
201975.3241 of 205888.3%★★★★☆
201874.2239 of 200888.1%★★★★☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202666.6261 of 139081.2%★★★★☆
202591.065 of 142895.4%★★★★★
202474.8267 of 177084.9%★★★★☆
202384.1141 of 172091.8%★★★★★
202275.4205 of 164387.5%★★★★☆
202150.3602 of 159262.2%★★★☆☆
201973.7197 of 144586.4%★★★★☆
201876.9134 of 137690.3%★★★★★

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202677.2346 of 224084.6%★★★★☆
202584.3167 of 182590.8%★★★★★
202471.9435 of 224280.6%★★★★☆
202374.3414 of 224181.5%★★★★☆
202271.8446 of 222179.9%★★★★☆
202162.9648 of 215169.9%★★★☆☆
201981.7254 of 204787.6%★★★★☆
201884.0210 of 200889.5%★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202671.4333 of 149777.8%★★★★☆
202573.0232 of 123081.1%★★★★☆
202361.4691 of 148153.3%★★★☆☆
202266.8497 of 148866.6%★★★☆☆
202164.9605 of 150159.7%★★★☆☆
201968.7450 of 144668.9%★★★☆☆
201871.4343 of 143076.0%★★★★☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202686.4148 of 214193.1%★★★★★
202591.553 of 173196.9%★★★★★
202483.6173 of 211991.8%★★★★★
202382.2215 of 211689.8%★★★★☆
202280.0248 of 207788.1%★★★★☆
202166.9469 of 204377.0%★★★★☆
201983.7184 of 193590.5%★★★★★
201886.3141 of 189592.6%★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202687.8108 of 225395.2%★★★★★
202590.756 of 182096.9%★★★★★
202480.1211 of 223590.6%★★★★★
202376.5293 of 225187.0%★★★★☆
202278.0255 of 222088.5%★★★★☆
202161.3626 of 217271.2%★★★★☆
201979.1216 of 207389.6%★★★★☆
201884.2139 of 203993.2%★★★★★

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202680.6301 of 225386.6%★★★★☆
202583.0189 of 181889.6%★★★★☆
202479.5293 of 224687.0%★★★★☆
202373.6430 of 224580.8%★★★★☆
202271.5460 of 222879.4%★★★★☆
202155.4840 of 216861.3%★★★☆☆
201971.0434 of 206979.0%★★★★☆
201875.2347 of 203082.9%★★★★☆

Migrant

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
201973.012 of 10888.9%★★★★☆
201859.439 of 12568.8%★★★★☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202675.9198 of 195689.9%★★★★☆
202578.8148 of 156890.6%★★★★★
202476.0189 of 189190.0%★★★★★
202367.4296 of 181583.7%★★★★☆
202263.3347 of 175780.3%★★★★☆
202148.6647 of 171262.2%★★★☆☆
201974.6167 of 162689.7%★★★★☆
201888.962 of 159796.1%★★★★★

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202637.21165 of 173132.7%★★☆☆☆
202520.61273 of 143911.5%★☆☆☆☆
202461.8562 of 173367.6%★★★☆☆
202356.8703 of 174959.8%★★★☆☆
202238.91113 of 172335.4%★★☆☆☆
202150.7785 of 170053.8%★★★☆☆
201990.377 of 168495.4%★★★★★
201887.1125 of 167392.5%★★★★★
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)95th percentile+9 vs school
Hispanic (2026)93rd percentile+7 vs school
Special Education (2026)90th percentile+4 vs school
Migrant (2019)89th percentile+5 vs school
Male (2026)87th percentile~ school
At Risk (2022)85th percentile+5 vs school
Female (2026)85th percentile~ school
English Language Learner (2026)81st percentile-5 vs school
Gifted and Talented (2026)78th percentile-8 vs school
Asian (2018)65th percentile-22 vs school
White (2026)33rd percentile-53 vs school
By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?
Algebra I100%+46 vs state
Reading73%+18 vs state
Mathematics56%+17 vs state
Social Studies40%+9 vs state

4.7
3 ratings · 2 written reviews
52
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10
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What people are saying
by a parent
Monday, April 10, 2017

Open Quote Maddy's First Year At Fossum she came from another district first time in McAllen District, They treated us with respect and accepted us with open arms! One of the best schools ever we love the teachers who are very attentive, esp. Mr Smith, Ms Borrego, Ms Luis, Ms Campos, Mr Miller, & the Sixth grade assistant Principal have inspired my daughter. We recommend this awesome, productive and welcoming school to anyone looking for a great school. We have been very pleased, Maddy has learned so much. We can only say come and experience this for yourself!! Excellent Staff and Teachers!!! Close Quote


by a student
Friday, July 16, 2010

Open Quote This school is the best in everything and is the best school around. Close Quote





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Frequently Asked Questions about Michael E Fossum Middle

Michael E Fossum Middle ranks 326th of 2335 Texas middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students who attend Michael E Fossum Middle usually go on to attend Rowe High School

Students at Michael E Fossum Middle are 96% Hispanic, 2% White.

In the 2024-25 school year, 791 students attended Michael E Fossum Middle.

Rate Michael E Fossum Middle!



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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.





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