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Thigpen-Zavala Elementary

Q: Is Thigpen-Zavala Elementary a good school?

Thigpen-Zavala Elementary ranks 603 rd of 4643 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

603^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,643 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 87% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Thigpen-Zavala Elementary is a PK-5 public school in the McAllen Independent School District (Isd) serving 470 students in a high-poverty area, where over 96% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

This school stands out as a remarkable success story. After ranking in the bottom 20-30% of Texas elementary schools from 2016-2021, Thigpen-Zavala has achieved a dramatic turnaround, now consistently ranking in the top 16% of the state with a 4-star rating. The school is a state leader in educating students from low-income backgrounds, ranking in the 98th percentile statewide for its effectiveness with low-SES students. In the most recent testing, Thigpen-Zavala outperformed both the district and state averages in every single grade level for Reading and Mathematics. For example, 4th-grade math proficiency (74%) was 22 points above the district average and 25 points above the state average. The school also excels with its Hispanic students (94th percentile) and English Language Learners (89th percentile), and its Spanish-language STAAR scores are exceptional—5th-grade Reading (Spanish) achieved an 80% proficiency rate compared to just 26% for the district.

Compared to nearby schools, Thigpen-Zavala is a clear leader. While Seguin Elementary and McAuliffe Elementary struggle to meet district math averages, Thigpen-Zavala far exceeds them. Wilson Elementary, with a similar poverty rate, ranks in the bottom 13% of the state, while Thigpen-Zavala ranks in the top 16%. The next best-performing school in the immediate area is Fields Elementary, which ranks in the 63rd percentile—a full 24 points lower. This sustained improvement over four years suggests a highly effective school environment that is successfully overcoming barriers, making Thigpen-Zavala a potential model for other schools in the district.

470

Students ?

14.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,795

Per pupil spending ?

96.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2500 Galveston Ave
McAllen, TX 78501

(956) 971-4377

District: McAllen Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Thigpen-Zavala Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Travis Middle
High:	McAllen High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

98.5%

Asian:

0.6%

White:

0.4%

See top rated Texas elementary schools

Compare Thigpen-Zavala Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 28th percentile in 2016 → 87th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Texas average (67% vs 50% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 13% of Texas elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 59 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school67%

District avg56%

Texas avg50%

603^rd of 4,643

Texas public elementary schools ?

Top 13%▲ up 59 pts since 2016

From bottom 28% (2016) to top 13% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 18Elementary Schools in the McAllen Independent School District (Isd)

242^nd of 947McAllen 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	84.3	603 of 4643	87.0%	★★★★☆
2025	87.8	462 of 4651	90.1%	★★★★★
2024	85.7	545 of 4710	88.4%	★★★★☆
2023	80.5	749 of 4647	83.9%	★★★★☆
2022	71.7	1085 of 4581	76.3%	★★★★☆
2021	22.1	3703 of 4578	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	34.6	3044 of 4479	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.9	2884 of 4359	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2017	27.2	3319 of 4329	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	34.1	3099 of 4286	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	55.5	2040 of 4320	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2014	50.4	2312 of 4260	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	39.4	2900 of 4221	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2012	37.6	3022 of 4206	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	37.3	3083 of 4095	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	34.6	3096 of 3937	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	86.8	259 of 4461	94.2%	★★★★★
2021	32.2	3191 of 4331	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	60.7	1295 of 4295	69.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.2	1129 of 4240	73.4%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	84.7	308 of 2918	89.4%	★★★★☆
2024	82.1	411 of 3668	88.8%	★★★★☆
2023	81.5	348 of 3556	90.2%	★★★★★
2022	72.0	626 of 3487	82.0%	★★★★☆
2021	33.0	2495 of 3446	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	50.7	1530 of 3333	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.2	1047 of 3226	67.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	90.3	296 of 4588	93.5%	★★★★★
2025	82.0	498 of 3744	86.7%	★★★★☆
2024	84.7	504 of 4658	89.2%	★★★★☆
2023	70.2	1094 of 4588	76.2%	★★★★☆
2022	67.6	1193 of 4561	73.8%	★★★★☆
2021	17.6	4042 of 4499	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	33.0	3133 of 4348	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.9	3004 of 4306	30.2%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	69.4	764 of 3080	75.2%	★★★★☆
2025	71.5	602 of 2619	77.0%	★★★★☆
2023	60.9	1411 of 2980	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	79.2	17 of 2958	99.4%	★★★★★
2021	31.1	2310 of 3006	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	88.6	253 of 4425	94.3%	★★★★★
2025	89.2	206 of 3644	94.3%	★★★★★
2024	89.3	230 of 4465	94.8%	★★★★★
2023	86.0	341 of 4401	92.3%	★★★★★
2022	77.3	622 of 4376	85.8%	★★★★☆
2021	27.4	3417 of 4329	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	40.4	2602 of 4188	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.5	2487 of 4168	40.3%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	94.0	87 of 4535	98.1%	★★★★★
2025	93.9	84 of 3705	97.7%	★★★★★
2024	92.5	118 of 4594	97.4%	★★★★★
2023	87.9	214 of 4521	95.3%	★★★★★
2022	82.3	381 of 4477	91.5%	★★★★★
2021	28.1	3519 of 4451	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	45.0	2429 of 4309	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	49.3	2087 of 4264	51.1%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	71.9	1021 of 4597	77.8%	★★★★☆
2025	82.3	505 of 3739	86.5%	★★★★☆
2024	77.3	818 of 4647	82.4%	★★★★☆
2023	84.7	523 of 4585	88.6%	★★★★☆
2022	72.2	1031 of 4563	77.4%	★★★★☆
2021	28.2	3307 of 4498	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	36.8	2866 of 4357	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.8	2783 of 4319	35.6%	★★☆☆☆

Migrant

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	72.1	8 of 45	82.2%	★★★★☆
2018	46.2	63 of 112	43.8%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	80.0	450 of 4308	89.6%	★★★★☆
2025	88.3	177 of 3549	95.0%	★★★★★
2024	80.6	420 of 4292	90.2%	★★★★★
2023	59.5	1113 of 4086	72.8%	★★★★☆
2022	52.6	1418 of 3952	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	33.3	2540 of 3799	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.8	1425 of 3684	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.8	1108 of 3558	68.9%	★★★☆☆

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)98th percentile+11 vs school

Hispanic (2026)94th percentile+7 vs school

At Risk (2022)94th percentile+18 vs school

Female (2026)94th percentile+7 vs school

Special Education (2026)90th percentile+3 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)89th percentile~ school

Migrant (2025)82nd percentile-8 vs school

Male (2026)78th percentile-9 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)75th percentile-12 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Reading70%+16 vs state

Mathematics65%+18 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, January 12, 2016

They do not care about bullying, claim they do...but, work very hard to discredit the child...They, staff and teacher's are the main bullies. Stop punishing children whose parents can't afford to participate.. This school is located in a very poor neighborhood.... but, there isn't a month that goes by when parents are forced to participate in some stupid endeavor.... They may deny they force participation...but, if you reward one child for participating and exclude the others.... that's a punishment geniuses..... Should dumb people like these be allowed to teach our children?....I hate this school.. Stop trying to sell me things....my friends don't want overpriced," dollar store items"....Do not make claims it's all for the children......teach, that's your job....your only job...last comment. When did this our greatest demonstration of socialism... become capitalism at it's worst... Close Quote

Schools Near Thigpen-Zavala 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 (2025)	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
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	603^rd of 4643 public elementary schools	87.0%		87.8	462^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	90.1%	141			80.0			20.0			60.5	71.4	78.3			53.5	74.0	65.2					$10,795
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	3085^th of 4643 public elementary schools	33.6%		44.2	2485^th of 4651 public elementary schools	46.6%	600		30.0							58.3	34.4	43.6			47.5	23.7	36.6					$10,669
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%)	45.8	2353^rd of 4643 public elementary schools	49.3%		44	2496^th of 4651 public elementary schools	46.3%	143	44.4	66.7							46.4	39.0	57.8			38.9	41.3	56.5					$10,403
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%)	51.3	2052^nd of 4643 public elementary schools	55.8%		54.2	1897^th of 4651 public elementary schools	59.2%	155							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	3393^rd of 4643 public elementary schools	26.9%		19.7	4043^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	13.1%	650									62.1	31.0	50.0			44.8	27.6	34.8					$11,941
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	1703^rd of 4643 public elementary schools	63.3%		54.2	1895^th of 4651 public elementary schools	59.3%	192		66.7			20.0				52.5	56.1	71.2			40.3	37.9	60.4					$13,525
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	2946^th of 4643 public elementary schools	36.5%		46	2382^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	48.8%	564									42.5	45.5	53.9			42.5	41.7	31.3					$9,327
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	2236^th of 4643 public elementary schools	51.8%		70.2	1130^th of 4651 public elementary schools	75.7%	1106	20.0								48.4	45.2	72.9			35.8	44.4	39.4					$11,174
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 4643 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
Lloyd & Dolly Bentsen Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	2101 S Taylor Rd	McAllen	78572	Hidalgo County	Sharyland Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 668-0426	611	37	16.5	81.3%	13 (2.1%)	3 (0.5%)	590 (96.6%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	65.3	1336^th of 4643 public elementary schools	71.2%		69.1	1167^th of 4651 public elementary schools	74.9%	169	24.2	48.6	33.3	18.8	31.4	22.2			62.9	75.0	63.8	50.5		56.5	57.1	42.0	46.2				$8,511

Frequently Asked Questions about Thigpen-Zavala Elementary

What district is Thigpen-Zavala Elementary in?

McAllen Independent School District (Isd)

What schools do graduates of Thigpen-Zavala Elementary attend?

Students who attend Thigpen-Zavala Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Travis Middle
High : McAllen High School

How many students attend Thigpen-Zavala Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 470 students attended Thigpen-Zavala Elementary.

Is Thigpen-Zavala Elementary a good school?

Thigpen-Zavala Elementary ranks 603^rd of 4643 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Thigpen-Zavala Elementary?

Students at Thigpen-Zavala Elementary are 99% Hispanic.

Rate Thigpen-Zavala 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.