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Geraldine Palmer Elementary

Q: Is Geraldine Palmer Elementary a good school?

Geraldine Palmer Elementary ranks 1885 th of 4643 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1885^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,643 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 59% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Geraldine Palmer Elementary in Pharr, TX, is a PK-5 school serving 657 students in the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd), a high-poverty community where about 89% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. This school stands out for its exceptional Gifted and Talented program, which ranked #1 in Texas in 2018-2019 and continues to perform in the 90th percentile, a strength not matched by nearby schools like Cesar Chavez Elementary or Edith & Ethel Carman Elementary. However, there is a significant gender gap: male students rank in the 78th percentile statewide, while female students rank in the 37th percentile, the largest such gap among nearby schools. Additionally, support for Special Education students is inconsistent, with rankings swinging from the 88th percentile in 2024-2025 to the 21st percentile in 2025-2026, unlike the more stable performance seen at Henry Ford Elementary.

One of the school's unique strengths is 5th-grade science, where 45.45% of students were proficient in 2024-2025, significantly outpacing the district average of 31.58% and the state average of 29.57%. This consistent outperformance sets it apart from peers like Carmen Anaya Elementary and Aida C Escobar Elementary. In contrast, the school's Spanish language program struggles, with only 9.09% of 4th graders proficient in Spanish Reading compared to 51.2% district-wide, though this is a district-wide challenge, except at Cesar Chavez Elementary, which excels in bilingual education. Nearby Fields Elementary in the higher-performing McAllen Independent School District (Isd) offers a contrast: it has a similar overall ranking but benefits from a stronger district context.

Geraldine Palmer's greatest asset may be its stability, with overall rankings consistently between the 55th and 62nd percentile over the past five years, while schools like Kelly-Pharr Elementary and Henry Ford Elementary have seen significant drops, and Cesar Chavez Elementary has surged to the 91st percentile. For families seeking a predictable environment, Palmer offers reliability, though it is outperformed by Cesar Chavez Elementary, which has a smaller enrollment (403 vs. 657) and a lower student-teacher ratio (13.4 vs. 17.2). Other nearby options like Berta S Palacios Elementary, Graciela Garcia Elementary, and Vanguard Picasso provide additional comparisons, but Palmer's consistent mid-tier performance and specialized programs make it a solid choice for families in the area.

657

Students ?

17.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,570

Per pupil spending ?

88.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1200 W Hall Acres Rd
Pharr, TX 78577-5543

(956) 354-2860

District: Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Geraldine Palmer Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Kennedy Middle
High:	Psja Southwest Early College High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

96.8%

White:

2.3%

African American:

0.8%

See top rated Texas elementary schools

Compare Geraldine Palmer Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 51st percentile in 2016 → 59th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 8 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Texas median (59th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school48%

District avg54%

Texas avg50%

1,885^th of 4,643

Texas public elementary schools ?

Top 41%▲ up 9 pts since 2016

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

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

18^th of 25Elementary Schools in the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd)

301^st of 947Pharr-San Juan-Alamo 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	54.7	1885 of 4643	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.5	2053 of 4651	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.6	2142 of 4710	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.9	1765 of 4647	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.2	1917 of 4581	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	27.6	3336 of 4578	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	76.7	818 of 4479	81.7%	★★★★☆
2018	69.1	1072 of 4359	75.4%	★★★★☆
2017	56.2	1655 of 4329	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	54.0	2108 of 4286	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2015	43.3	2681 of 4320	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2014	51.5	2228 of 4260	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	61.3	1653 of 4221	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2012	61.9	1600 of 4206	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2011	45.1	2681 of 4095	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	28.7	3319 of 3937	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	60.4	1685 of 3884	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2008	58.7	1734 of 3768	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2007	51.9	2117 of 3724	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2006	33.9	2713 of 3476	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	37.9	2561 of 3475	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	30.5	2850 of 3465	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	76.4	556 of 4461	87.5%	★★★★☆
2021	46.2	2102 of 4331	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	93.1	98 of 4295	97.7%	★★★★★
2018	90.3	145 of 4240	96.6%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	51.0	1280 of 2918	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.9	1530 of 3668	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.2	1251 of 3556	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.4	1340 of 3487	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	39.7	2095 of 3446	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	83.7	224 of 3333	93.3%	★★★★★
2018	85.5	185 of 3226	94.3%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	38.2	2898 of 4588	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.6	1823 of 3744	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.0	2677 of 4658	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.4	2707 of 4588	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	53.9	1909 of 4561	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	29.5	3221 of 4499	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	73.1	883 of 4348	79.7%	★★★★☆
2018	77.1	740 of 4306	82.8%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	74.6	299 of 3080	90.3%	★★★★★
2023	71.2	709 of 2980	76.2%	★★★★☆
2019	81.7	1 of 3184	100.0%	★★★★★
2018	77.7	256 of 3106	91.8%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	60.1	1458 of 4425	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	61.0	1181 of 3644	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.4	1500 of 4465	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.5	1279 of 4401	70.9%	★★★★☆
2022	61.1	1390 of 4376	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	33.4	3020 of 4329	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	83.0	369 of 4188	91.2%	★★★★★
2018	75.8	630 of 4168	84.9%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	68.1	991 of 4535	78.1%	★★★★☆
2025	62.1	1131 of 3705	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.1	1371 of 4594	70.2%	★★★★☆
2023	67.5	1048 of 4521	76.8%	★★★★☆
2022	66.2	1103 of 4477	75.4%	★★★★☆
2021	34.8	3063 of 4451	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	86.0	239 of 4309	94.5%	★★★★★
2018	83.8	310 of 4264	92.7%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	71.7	1027 of 4597	77.7%	★★★★☆
2025	61.1	1254 of 3739	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.1	1523 of 4647	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.4	1193 of 4585	74.0%	★★★★☆
2022	52.9	2006 of 4563	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	27.9	3326 of 4498	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	75.2	809 of 4357	81.4%	★★★★☆
2018	54.8	1747 of 4319	59.6%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	29.7	3394 of 4308	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	77.9	418 of 3549	88.2%	★★★★☆
2024	58.5	1354 of 4292	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.6	1548 of 4086	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.4	1873 of 3952	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	49.5	1457 of 3799	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.2	1093 of 3684	70.3%	★★★★☆
2018	34.8	2405 of 3558	32.4%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Gifted and Talented (2026)90th percentile+31 vs school

At Risk (2022)88th percentile+29 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)78th percentile+19 vs school

Male (2026)78th percentile+18 vs school

Hispanic (2026)67th percentile+8 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)56th percentile~ school

Female (2026)37th percentile-23 vs school

Special Education (2026)21st percentile-38 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Reading52%~ state avg

Mathematics49%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Geraldine Palmer 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 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 (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 Reading 3rd Grade	STAAR Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 5th Grade	Total
Geraldine Palmer Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1200 W Hall Acres Rd	Pharr	78577	Hidalgo County	Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 354-2860	657	38	17.2	88.6%	15 (2.3%)	5 (0.8%)	636 (96.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54.7	1885^th of 4643 public elementary schools	59.4%		51.5	2053^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	55.9%	168	18.2	9.1	18.2				45.3	56.1	56.3	43.0	52.0	53.8	$10,570
Aida C Escobar Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	901 W Kelly St	Pharr	78577	Hidalgo County	Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 354-2920	735	43	17.2	90.5%	7 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	726 (98.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	75.8	911^th of 4643 public elementary schools	80.4%		76.5	887^th of 4651 public elementary schools	80.9%	24	31.6	63.6	73.7				64.0	59.3	75.6	43.2	61.9	75.9	$10,800
Vanguard Picasso	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	901 S Athol	Pharr	78540	Hidalgo County	Vanguard Academy	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 702-0134	572	36	15.6	91.4%	11 (1.9%)	1 (0.2%)	559 (97.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54	1916^th of 4643 public elementary schools	58.7%		54.6	1870^th of 4651 public elementary schools	59.8%	46	17.7	40.0	33.3	40.0		20.0	48.2	39.3	77.3	47.0	46.4	45.7	$10,531
Kelly-Pharr Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	500 E Sam Houston St	Pharr	78577	Hidalgo County	Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 354-2870	587	37	15.9	93.7%	9 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	577 (98.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	53	1964^th of 4643 public elementary schools	57.7%		41	2708^th of 4651 public elementary schools	41.8%	744	11.1	60.0					49.2	55.1	50.6	47.1	59.1	42.1	$10,959
Graciela Garcia Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1002 W Juan Balli	Pharr	78577	Hidalgo County	Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 354-2790	385	27	14.3	97.9%	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	383 (99.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	75.8	915^th of 4643 public elementary schools	80.3%		66.9	1266^th of 4651 public elementary schools	72.8%	351	40.0	89.5	66.7				60.0	67.4	60.8	45.0	81.0	61.0	$13,632
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
Edith & Ethel Carman Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	100 W Ridge Rd	San Juan	78589	Hidalgo County	Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 354-2700	686	40	17.2	84.5%	14 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	671 (97.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	53.1	1960^th of 4643 public elementary schools	57.8%		60.2	1570^th of 4651 public elementary schools	66.2%	390							52.0	51.8	59.4	31.7	56.0	51.6	$10,457
Cesar Chavez Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	401 E Thomas Rd	Pharr	78577	Hidalgo County	Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 354-2720	403	30	13.4	98.3%	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	401 (99.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	89.4	396^th of 4643 public elementary schools	91.5%		74.7	941^st of 4651 public elementary schools	79.8%	545	59.3	73.3	55.0				55.6	65.4	82.1	74.6	65.9	91.4	$13,411
Berta S Palacios Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	801 E Thomas Dr	Pharr	78577	Hidalgo County	Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 354-2000	470	31	15.1	99.6%	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	466 (99.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	68.7	1198^th of 4643 public elementary schools	74.2%		77	874^th of 4651 public elementary schools	81.2%	324	7.1	46.2	63.6				50.0	64.4	60.9	44.2	66.7	59.7	$11,941
Henry Ford Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1110 E Polk St	Pharr	78577	Hidalgo County	Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 354-2770	643	40	15.9	98.1%	9 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	634 (98.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	55	1866^th of 4643 public elementary schools	59.8%		38	2926^th of 4651 public elementary schools	37.1%	1060	30.0		75.0				42.2	50.7	52.6	51.4	54.7	54.9	$10,446

Frequently Asked Questions about Geraldine Palmer Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Geraldine Palmer Elementary?

Students at Geraldine Palmer Elementary are 97% Hispanic, 2% White.

What district is Geraldine Palmer Elementary in?

Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd)

What schools do graduates of Geraldine Palmer Elementary attend?

Students who attend Geraldine Palmer Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Kennedy Middle
High : Psja Southwest Early College High School

How many students attend Geraldine Palmer Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 657 students attended Geraldine Palmer Elementary.

Is Geraldine Palmer Elementary a good school?

Geraldine Palmer Elementary ranks 1885^th of 4643 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Geraldine Palmer Elementary!

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Latest Texas data All new data »

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesNewSep 30, 2026

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

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.