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

Ruben Hinojosa Elementary

Q: Is Ruben Hinojosa Elementary a good school?

Ruben Hinojosa Elementary ranks 3421 st of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

3421^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 26% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Ruben Hinojosa Elementary is a PK-5 campus in Mercedes, TX, serving 468 students within the Mercedes Independent School District (Isd), where the vast majority of families (over 82%) qualify for free or reduced lunch.

This school is currently in a period of significant change. After a strong performance in the 2022-2023 school year, it has seen a sharp decline in state rankings over the last two years. While it remains the highest-performing school in its district, it is being outpaced by nearby schools serving similar communities. For example, C E Vail Elementary in the La Feria Independent School District (Isd) is just 4.5 miles away, serves a comparable student population, but consistently achieves much higher test scores. This suggests the challenges at Ruben Hinojosa are not simply about the students it serves, but about the strategies being used in the classroom.

There are clear bright spots to build on. The school’s 5th-grade science program is a standout, with proficiency rates nearly double the district average and higher than the state average. The school also showed it could be highly effective with its English Language Learner students just a few years ago, ranking in the top third of the state for that group. The key takeaway for parents is that Ruben Hinojosa has proven it can succeed, but it needs to rediscover and reapply the successful approaches that led to its past peak performance to reverse its current downward trend.

468

Students ?

13.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,686

Per pupil spending ?

82.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

500 S Rio Rico Rd
Mercedes, TX 78570

(956) 512-2227

District: Mercedes Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Ruben Hinojosa Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Sgt Manuel Chacon Middle
High:	Mercedes High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

97.0%

White:

2.4%

Asian:

0.4%

See top rated Texas elementary schools

Compare Ruben Hinojosa Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 55th percentile in 2023 → 26th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (39% vs 50% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped from its 55th-percentile peak (2023) to 26th (2026)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school39%

District avg36%

Texas avg50%

3,421^st of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Bottom 26%▲ up 13 pts since 2016

From bottom 14% (2016) to bottom 26% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 3Elementary Schools in the Mercedes Independent School District (Isd)

805^th of 951Mercedes 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	30.1	3421 of 4627	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	42.5	2607 of 4651	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.1	3014 of 4710	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.1	2114 of 4647	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	31.3	3296 of 4581	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.2	3848 of 4578	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	34.9	3030 of 4479	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.1	3001 of 4359	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2017	24.0	3545 of 4329	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	20.6	3705 of 4286	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	21.3	3720 of 4320	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	22.1	3736 of 4260	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	21.2	3753 of 4221	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	31.2	3369 of 4206	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	16.4	3838 of 4095	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	26.9	3391 of 3937	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	34.6	3001 of 3884	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	39.1	2712 of 3768	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	23.7	3286 of 3724	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	22.6	3100 of 3476	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	27.2	2935 of 3475	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	16.9	3240 of 3465	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	50.0	2095 of 4461	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	39.4	2619 of 4331	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.2	2098 of 4295	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	51.7	1835 of 4240	56.7%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	48.6	1384 of 2918	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.3	2065 of 3668	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	62.7	1016 of 3556	71.4%	★★★★☆
2022	37.8	2331 of 3487	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	22.6	3079 of 3446	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	42.2	1985 of 3333	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.3	2018 of 3226	37.4%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	30.7	3408 of 4575	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	51.6	1666 of 3744	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.4	2224 of 4658	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.0	1795 of 4588	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	31.1	3355 of 4561	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.6	3290 of 4499	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	40.2	2659 of 4348	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.1	2737 of 4306	36.4%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	27.5	2747 of 3075	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	64.6	1040 of 2619	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	43.1	2169 of 2980	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	41.7	2165 of 2958	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	12.3	2791 of 3006	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	17.9	2963 of 3184	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.5	3035 of 3106	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	37.2	2971 of 4413	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	55.6	1452 of 3644	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.4	2359 of 4465	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	57.7	1607 of 4401	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	38.7	2836 of 4376	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	25.7	3525 of 4329	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	40.2	2609 of 4188	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.1	2637 of 4168	36.7%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	34.9	3241 of 4520	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	55.4	1449 of 3705	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.2	2124 of 4594	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.6	1210 of 4521	73.2%	★★★★☆
2022	44.0	2549 of 4477	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	29.0	3454 of 4451	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	44.1	2487 of 4309	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	45.6	2324 of 4264	45.5%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	33.2	3228 of 4582	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	40.7	2236 of 3739	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.1	3508 of 4647	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	44.5	2488 of 4585	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.3	3121 of 4563	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	15.2	4177 of 4498	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	31.0	3253 of 4357	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.6	3268 of 4319	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Migrant

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2018	33.0	87 of 112	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	33.3	3066 of 4301	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	52.5	1435 of 3549	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.6	2134 of 4292	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	31.7	2993 of 4086	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.6	3697 of 3952	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	63.6	787 of 3684	78.6%	★★★★☆
2018	42.4	1871 of 3558	47.4%	★★☆☆☆

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)

At Risk (2022)53rd percentile+25 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)53rd percentile+9 vs school

Hispanic (2026)33rd percentile+7 vs school

Male (2026)30th percentile+3 vs school

Special Education (2026)29th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)28th percentile~ school

Female (2026)26th percentile~ school

Migrant (2018)22nd percentile-9 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)11th percentile-15 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Reading46%-9 vs state

Mathematics33%-14 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

Rate Ruben Hinojosa 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

What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, October 4, 2011

I really don't like the why the principal Mrs Garza treated my 6 yrs old .I don't believe in yelling to a child like that.I think that is not the proper why to talk to a child .She really scared her.She tells me alot of the students are scared of her and she even told me the kids names that are scared of her.and that her other school pricipal was very nice.I believe she is being bullied by her principal.Well at least i have a witness to her yelling .Kids are young that's not the proper why to treat them espeially for a cracker she got in lunch.My God i can't even believe it . Close Quote

Schools Near Ruben Hinojosa 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 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 Reading 3rd Grade	STAAR Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 5th Grade	Total
Ruben Hinojosa Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	500 S Rio Rico Rd	Mercedes	78570	Hidalgo County	Mercedes Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 512-2227	468	36	13.1	82.9%	11 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	454 (97.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	30.1	3421^st of 4627 public elementary schools	26.1%		42.5	2607^th of 4651 public elementary schools	43.9%	814	41.7	16.7	50.0	42.9	45.5	48.3	24.7	38.7	35.1	$10,686
John F Kennedy Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	801 Hidalgo St	Mercedes	78570	Hidalgo County	Mercedes Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 514-2300	399	29	13.8	95.0%	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	396 (99.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)								(n/a)										$10,832
Travis Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1551 S Georgia Ave	Mercedes	78570	Hidalgo County	Mercedes Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 514-2322	478	34	14.0	90.0%	11 (2.3%)	1 (0.2%)	464 (97.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	14.8	4305^th of 4627 public elementary schools	7.0%		29.6	3458^th of 4651 public elementary schools	25.7%	847				33.3	35.0	37.5	20.0	21.0	31.8	$10,498
Taylor Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	900 N Missouri Ave	Mercedes	78570	Hidalgo County	Mercedes Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 514-2388	406	32	12.6	93.6%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	406 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34.1	3145^th of 4627 public elementary schools	32.0%		22.7	3868^th of 4651 public elementary schools	16.8%	723	26.1	36.4	23.1	22.2	32.1	38.2	35.8	55.4	48.2	$11,042
A N Rico Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2202 N International Blvd	Weslaco	78596	Hidalgo County	Weslaco Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 969-6815	780	38	20.5	89.4%	6 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	768 (98.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	49.1	2170^th of 4627 public elementary schools	53.1%		43.1	2563^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	44.9%	393				54.4	36.5	57.8	40.4	50.5	50.0	$9,469
C E Vail Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	209 W Jessamine Ave	La Feria	78559	Cameron County	La Feria Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 797-8460	376	26	14.4	94.1%	8 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	363 (96.5%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	60.7	1585^th of 4627 public elementary schools	65.7%		69.3	1163^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	75.0%	422				63.6	53.3	60.6	47.3	65.0	38.0	$8,418
Progreso Elementary	Public	3-5	1401 N Business Fm 1015	Progreso	78579	Hidalgo County	Progreso Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 514-9400	262	18	14.3	100.0%	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	260 (99.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	47.7	2228^th of 4627 public elementary schools	51.8%		56.8	1737^th of 4651 public elementary schools	62.7%	491	21.1	42.9	50.0	41.3	47.8	50.6	38.5	54.3	53.9	$10,331
Progreso Early Childhood	Public	PK, KG-2	1201 Business Fm 1015	Progreso	78579	Hidalgo County	Progreso Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 565-1103	365	19	19.4	98.1%	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	362 (99.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)										$7,951
Airport Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	410 N Airport Dr	Weslaco	78596	Hidalgo County	Weslaco Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 969-6770	786	44	18.0	86.3%	8 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	769 (97.8%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.5%)	59.4	1639^th of 4627 public elementary schools	64.6%		34.7	3151^st of 4651 public elementary schools	32.3%	1512				52.9	55.9	63.9	41.9	57.8	44.6	$10,346
Idea Academy Weslaco	Public, Charter	K-5	2931 E Sugar Cane Dr	Weslaco	78599	Hidalgo County	Idea Public Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 351-4100	649	29	22.5	88.6%	25 (3.9%)	4 (0.6%)	619 (95.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35.3	3063^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	33.8%		38.8	2861^st of 4651 public elementary schools	38.5%	202				41.8	34.2	54.7	28.2	53.0	37.6	$9,096

Frequently Asked Questions about Ruben Hinojosa Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Ruben Hinojosa Elementary?

Students at Ruben Hinojosa Elementary are 97% Hispanic, 2% White.

How many students attend Ruben Hinojosa Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 468 students attended Ruben Hinojosa Elementary.

What district is Ruben Hinojosa Elementary in?

Mercedes Independent School District (Isd)

Is Ruben Hinojosa Elementary a good school?

Ruben Hinojosa Elementary ranks 3421^st of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Ruben Hinojosa Elementary attend?

Students who attend Ruben Hinojosa Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Sgt Manuel Chacon Middle
High : Mercedes High School

Rate Ruben Hinojosa Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

TXTexas Elementary School Rankings

TXTexas District Rankings

Schools in Mercedes, TX

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Ruben Hinojosa 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.