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

Cantu Elementary

Q: Is Cantu Elementary a good school?

Cantu Elementary ranks 2776 th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

2776^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 40% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Cantu Elementary is a PK-5 school in Alton, TX, serving 521 students within the Mission Consolidated Independent School District, where over 91% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Cantu Elementary stands out for its exceptional upper-grade performance, particularly in 5th grade, where students consistently outperform both the district and state averages in Reading and Mathematics. For example, in 2025-2026, 5th-grade Reading scores at Cantu (63.64%) surpassed the district (57.5%) and state (58.47%). The school also excels in its Spanish-language (STAAR Spanish) Reading program, with 5th graders scoring 50% compared to the district's 38.54% and state's 34.82%. This suggests a strong bilingual program that effectively supports native Spanish speakers. Additionally, Cantu has shown a remarkable trajectory of improvement, climbing from the 8th percentile statewide in 2016 to a peak of the 63rd percentile in 2025, contrasting with nearby schools like Carl C Waitz Elementary, which has declined to the 14th percentile.

The school's primary challenge is a significant "3rd grade slump," where performance drops dramatically before rebounding in 4th and 5th grades. In 2025-2026, 3rd-grade Reading (29.27%) and Mathematics (23.53%) were far below 5th-grade scores (63.64% and 50.62%, respectively). However, Cantu effectively serves its core demographic of low socio-economic status students, ranking in the 59th and 66th percentiles in recent years. Notably, special education students showed dramatic improvement, jumping from the 14th percentile in 2024-2025 to the 64th percentile in 2025-2026. Compared to neighbors like Alton Elementary, Cantu significantly outperforms in almost every grade and subject, making it a strong choice for families seeking a school with clear strengths in upper grades and bilingual education.

521

Students ?

17.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,191

Per pupil spending ?

91.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

920 W Main Ave
Alton, TX 78573

(956) 323-7400

District: Mission Consolidated Independent School District

Students who attend Cantu Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Alton Memorial J H
High:	Mission Collegiate High School
	Mission High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

97.3%

White:

2.1%

African American:

0.4%

See top rated Texas elementary schools

Compare Cantu Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 63rd percentile in 2025 → 40th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (41% vs 50% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped from its 63rd-percentile peak (2025) to 40th (2026)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school41%

District avg48%

Texas avg50%

2,776^th of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Bottom 40%▲ up 32 pts since 2016

From bottom 8% (2016) to bottom 40% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

11^th of 14Elementary Schools in the Mission Consolidated Independent School District

473^rd of 951Mission Consolidated Independent School District 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	39.6	2776 of 4627	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	57.1	1717 of 4651	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.3	2419 of 4710	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.7	2251 of 4647	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	38.0	2864 of 4581	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	28.7	3251 of 4578	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	55.2	1760 of 4479	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.3	1615 of 4359	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	43.2	2323 of 4329	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2016	14.8	3939 of 4286	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	19.0	3810 of 4320	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	36.1	3100 of 4260	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	24.9	3613 of 4221	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	45.3	2569 of 4206	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2011	28.5	3452 of 4095	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	66.8	1347 of 3937	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	62.4	1590 of 3884	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2008	59.5	1685 of 3768	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2007	44.9	2462 of 3724	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2006	49.1	2091 of 3476	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2005	42.9	2348 of 3475	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2004	39.3	2504 of 3465	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	50.7	2040 of 4461	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	39.7	2588 of 4331	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	64.3	1076 of 4295	74.9%	★★★★☆
2018	74.0	618 of 4240	85.4%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	43.5	944 of 1643	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.8	1373 of 2918	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.1	2079 of 3668	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	58.7	1232 of 3556	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	33.3	2587 of 3487	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	29.6	2685 of 3446	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	48.1	1670 of 3333	49.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	64.7	847 of 3226	73.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	42.6	2584 of 4575	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	55.6	1480 of 3744	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.6	2396 of 4658	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.8	2169 of 4588	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	38.7	2848 of 4561	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	27.3	3371 of 4499	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	56.1	1712 of 4348	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.7	1608 of 4306	62.7%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	48.6	1734 of 2619	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	58.8	1471 of 2958	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	40.2	2078 of 3006	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	77.4	184 of 3184	94.2%	★★★★★
2018	62.6	1359 of 3106	56.2%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	45.8	2361 of 4413	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	56.5	1401 of 3644	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.1	1983 of 4465	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.1	1708 of 4401	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.2	2506 of 4376	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.3	2899 of 4329	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	60.9	1327 of 4188	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.7	1180 of 4168	71.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	48.2	2250 of 4520	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	59.1	1265 of 3705	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.8	1880 of 4594	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.0	1331 of 4521	70.6%	★★★★☆
2022	46.7	2377 of 4477	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.4	3089 of 4451	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	68.4	891 of 4309	79.3%	★★★★☆
2018	71.0	822 of 4264	80.7%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	38.1	2884 of 4582	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	44.1	2017 of 3739	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.9	2507 of 4647	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.7	2280 of 4585	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	39.1	2791 of 4563	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	33.9	2912 of 4498	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	54.4	1745 of 4357	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.3	1781 of 4319	58.8%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	53.4	1541 of 4301	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	23.6	3049 of 3549	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.9	2999 of 4292	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.7	2483 of 4086	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	12.4	3943 of 3952	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	33.9	2489 of 3799	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.2	1972 of 3684	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.3	1563 of 3558	56.1%	★★★☆☆

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)

Special Education (2026)64th percentile+24 vs school

At Risk (2022)54th percentile+17 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)50th percentile+10 vs school

Hispanic (2026)46th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2026)44th percentile+4 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)43rd percentile+3 vs school

Male (2026)37th percentile-3 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)34th percentile-29 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Reading49%-6 vs state

Mathematics39%-8 vs state

★

No ratings yet

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

Rate Cantu 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 Cantu 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 Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 3rd 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
Cantu Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	920 W Main Ave	Alton	78573	Hidalgo County	Mission Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 323-7400	521	31	17.0	91.2%	11 (2.1%)	2 (0.4%)	507 (97.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	39.6	2776^th of 4627 public elementary schools	40.0%		57.1	1717^th of 4651 public elementary schools	63.1%	1059	17.9	38.5	50.0		29.3	42.9	63.6		23.5	40.7	50.6		$11,191
Raquel Cavazos Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	803 S Los Ebanos Blvd	Alton	78573	Hidalgo County	Mission Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 323-7200	521	30	17.6	85.8%	6 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	515 (98.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	55.9	1814^th of 4627 public elementary schools	60.8%		50.8	2103^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	54.8%	289	46.2	31.3	37.5		58.0	38.6	73.0		25.8	52.1	58.2		$10,453
Alton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	205 N Chicago	Alton	78573	Hidalgo County	Mission Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 323-7600	337	23	14.5	93.5%	11 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	326 (96.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44.3	2425^th of 4627 public elementary schools	47.6%		30.2	3417^th of 4651 public elementary schools	26.5%	992					22.5	55.8	52.0		42.5	61.4	38.0		$12,711
Carl C Waitz Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	842 W Saint Francis Ave	Alton	78573	Hidalgo County	Mission Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 323-6600	361	25	14.3	97.5%	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	357 (98.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20.8	4002^nd of 4627 public elementary schools	13.5%		31.8	3324^th of 4651 public elementary schools	28.5%	678	20.0	53.9	55.0		23.1	43.5	37.2		14.3	50.0	28.3		$11,310
Salinas Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	10820 N Conway Ave	Mission	78573	Hidalgo County	Mission Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 323-6200	366	24	15.1	97.5%	15 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	351 (95.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	57.6	1731^st of 4627 public elementary schools	62.6%		53.4	1944^th of 4651 public elementary schools	58.2%	213	30.8	55.6			45.0	55.6	46.2		47.2	62.3	56.1		$12,144
Diaz-Villarreal Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5543 La Homa Rd	Mission	78572	Hidalgo County	La Joya Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 323-2470	527	36	14.7	93.0%	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	526 (99.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	65.9	1310^th of 4627 public elementary schools	71.7%		53.8	1916^th of 4651 public elementary schools	58.8%	606	23.8	35.3	19.1		70.6	56.3	52.1		48.7	64.1	52.9		$9,370
Hurla M Midkiff Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4201 N Mayberry	Palmhurst	78574	Hidalgo County	Mission Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 323-7000	657	39	16.6	78.1%	30 (4.6%)	1 (0.2%)	626 (95.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	49.6	2140^th of 4627 public elementary schools	53.7%		55.6	1799^th of 4651 public elementary schools	61.3%	341	40.0		12.5		50.0	64.0	56.2		29.6	51.9	40.6		$9,635
Dr Americo Paredes Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5301 Bentsen Palm Dr	Mission	78572	Hidalgo County	La Joya Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 323-2730	465	29	15.8	96.1%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	465 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22.1	3933^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	15.0%		30.1	3419^th of 4651 public elementary schools	26.5%	514	30.0	20.0	0.0		41.9	30.9	43.9		34.0	33.9	26.6		$9,578
Idea Palmview Academy	Public, Charter	K-5	4100 N Schuerbach Rd	Mission	78572	Hidalgo County	Idea Public Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 424-4900	705	33	21.3	97.9%	30 (4.3%)	3 (0.4%)	671 (95.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25.5	3721^st of 4627 public elementary schools	19.6%		23.4	3827^th of 4651 public elementary schools	17.7%	106		0.0	14.3		37.0	27.4	54.6		42.6	29.5	24.6		$10,819
Jessie L Jensen Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	510 N Glasscock Blvd	Alton	78573	Hidalgo County	Sharyland Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 580-5252	615	37	16.4	88.0%	24 (3.9%)	2 (0.3%)	587 (95.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33.3	3207^th of 4627 public elementary schools	30.7%		44.6	2465^th of 4651 public elementary schools	47.0%	742	23.8	14.3	50.0	9.5	36.1	33.9	52.1	46.1	32.8	50.0	32.9	31.5	$9,282

Frequently Asked Questions about Cantu Elementary

Is Cantu Elementary a good school?

Cantu Elementary ranks 2776^th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Cantu Elementary?

Students at Cantu Elementary are 97% Hispanic, 2% White.

What district is Cantu Elementary in?

Mission Consolidated Independent School District

What schools do graduates of Cantu Elementary attend?

Students who attend Cantu Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Alton Memorial J H
High : Mission Collegiate High School
High : Mission High School

How many students attend Cantu Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 521 students attended Cantu Elementary.

Rate Cantu Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

TXTexas Elementary School Rankings

TXTexas District Rankings

Schools in Alton, TX

Sign up for updates!

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