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Jesus - Jesse - Vela Junior Middle

Q: Is Jesus - Jesse - Vela Junior Middle a good school?

Jesus - Jesse - Vela Junior Middle ranks 1081 st of 2335 Texas middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

1081^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,335 Texas Middle Schools

Better than 54% of Texas middle schools

Summary

Jesus - Jesse - Vela Junior Middle in Alamo, TX, serves 654 students in grades 6-8 within the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd), and has staged a remarkable turnaround from a low point in the 2020-2021 school year to now earning a 3-star rating and ranking in the 54th percentile statewide.

This school truly shines in its support for students who need it most. Vela Middle ranks in the 81st percentile for English Language Learners and the 71st percentile for Special Education students—the highest among all PSJA middle schools and significantly better than nearby Audie Murphy Middle. It also excels with students from low-income backgrounds, ranking in the 72nd percentile for this group, again the best in the district. A standout achievement is in Algebra I, where 100% of Vela Middle students taking the exam were proficient, matching only Liberty Middle and Lyndon B Johnson Middle in the district and far exceeding the state average of 47%. The school also maintains a perfect 0.0% dropout rate for five consecutive years, a record not shared by all nearby schools, such as Veterans Middle in the Donna Independent School District (Isd).

However, there is a clear challenge: 7th-grade math proficiency is very low at just 4.07%, the lowest among PSJA middle schools and well below the state average of 29.41%. Interestingly, this contrasts sharply with 8th-grade math, where 61% of students are proficient—outpacing both the district and state. This suggests the school may be providing effective remediation or that its 8th-grade math instruction is particularly strong. While its closest neighbor, Austin Middle, still outperforms in most core subjects, Vela Middle’s higher per-student spending ($13,596) and low student-to-teacher ratio of 11.5:1 indicate a focused investment in student success, especially for its most vulnerable learners.

654

Students ?

11.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,735

Per pupil spending ?

96%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1819 W Hwy 83
Alamo, TX 78516-2102

(956) 354-2550

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

Students who attend Jesus - Jesse - Vela Junior Middle usually attend:

High:

Psja Memorial Early College High School

Feeder schools for Jesus - Jesse - Vela Junior Middle:

Elementary:	John McKeever Elementary
	Marcia R Garza
	Zeferino Farias Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

99.2%

White:

0.6%

African American:

0.2%

See top rated Texas middle schools

Compare Jesus - Jesse - Vela Junior Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 18th percentile in 2016 → 54th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 36 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Texas median (54th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school45%

District avg47%

Texas avg47%

1,081^st of 2,335

Texas public middle schools ?

Top 46%▲ up 35 pts since 2016

From bottom 18% (2016) to top 46% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 8Middle Schools in the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd)

306^th of 951Pharr-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	48.6	1081 of 2335	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	41.6	1342 of 2344	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.8	1373 of 2372	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.5	1676 of 2330	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.0	1705 of 2254	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	12.1	2115 of 2252	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	39.3	1311 of 2193	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	31.1	1496 of 2080	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	30.5	1470 of 2027	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	26.4	1621 of 1987	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	21.0	1772 of 2043	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	16.6	1791 of 1987	9.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	14.9	1806 of 1973	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	18.0	1731 of 1951	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	14.2	1806 of 1895	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	25.1	1594 of 1803	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	34.5	1389 of 1763	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	34.1	1358 of 1718	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	32.1	1320 of 1684	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	26.3	1299 of 1585	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	30.4	1234 of 1582	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	26.7	1315 of 1573	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	54.7	742 of 2182	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	19.1	1993 of 2118	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	30.1	1601 of 2058	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.7	1680 of 2008	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	66.0	270 of 1390	80.6%	★★★★☆
2025	51.1	577 of 1428	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.9	756 of 1770	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	45.7	840 of 1720	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	36.0	1082 of 1643	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	22.4	1487 of 1592	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	30.0	1118 of 1445	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	31.2	1052 of 1376	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	54.8	870 of 2240	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	45.1	945 of 1825	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.4	1144 of 2242	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.2	1701 of 2241	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.9	1607 of 2221	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	9.4	2105 of 2151	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	36.4	1344 of 2047	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	30.9	1493 of 2008	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	66.3	500 of 1497	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	74.9	172 of 1230	86.0%	★★★★☆
2023	48.0	982 of 1481	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.6	1003 of 1488	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.4	987 of 1446	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	30.6	1166 of 1430	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	56.3	751 of 2141	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	50.6	759 of 1731	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.5	903 of 2119	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	37.8	1364 of 2116	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.3	1423 of 2077	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	15.5	1908 of 2043	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	46.8	961 of 1935	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	36.6	1216 of 1895	35.8%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	61.7	628 of 2253	72.1%	★★★★☆
2025	55.3	678 of 1820	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.2	857 of 2235	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	40.7	1357 of 2251	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.8	1543 of 2220	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	15.6	2050 of 2172	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	49.7	950 of 2073	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	40.1	1250 of 2039	38.7%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	42.7	1254 of 2253	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.3	1143 of 1818	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.4	1334 of 2246	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.7	1526 of 2245	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	25.3	1778 of 2228	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	16.6	1934 of 2168	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	41.9	1157 of 2069	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	30.0	1512 of 2030	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Migrant

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	61.9	16 of 60	73.3%	★★★★☆
2025	72.5	7 of 59	88.1%	★★★★☆
2024	58.8	17 of 58	70.7%	★★★★☆
2023	52.3	28 of 76	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	37.7	51 of 70	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	58.8	33 of 108	69.4%	★★★★☆
2018	44.6	74 of 125	40.8%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	55.8	577 of 1956	70.5%	★★★★☆
2025	43.7	851 of 1568	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	52.9	721 of 1891	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	35.7	1178 of 1815	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.8	1050 of 1757	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.6	974 of 1712	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	25.3	1418 of 1626	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.1	1152 of 1597	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2026)81st percentile+27 vs school

Migrant (2026)73rd percentile+20 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)72nd percentile+18 vs school

Special Education (2026)71st percentile+17 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)67th percentile+13 vs school

At Risk (2022)66th percentile+42 vs school

Hispanic (2026)65th percentile+11 vs school

Female (2026)61st percentile+7 vs school

Male (2026)44th percentile-9 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Algebra I95%+41 vs state

Reading52%-3 vs state

Mathematics38%~ state avg

Social Studies30%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Jesus - Jesse - Vela Junior Middle

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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 EOC Algebra I (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	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 EOC Algebra I End of Course	STAAR Reading 6th Grade	STAAR Reading 7th Grade	STAAR Reading 8th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 6th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 7th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 8th Grade	STAAR Social Studies 8th Grade	Total
Jesus - Jesse - Vela Junior Middle	Public	6-8	1819 W Hwy 83	Alamo	78516	Hidalgo County	Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 354-2550	654	57	11.5	96.0%	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	649 (99.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	48.6	1081^st of 2335 public middle schools	53.7%		41.6	1342^nd of 2344 public middle schools	42.7%	261	95.2	44.1	52.4	60.6	29.9	4.1	61.0	30.1	$14,735
Austin Middle	Public	6-8	804 S Stewart Rd	San Juan	78589	Hidalgo County	Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 354-2570	833	69	12.1	90.3%	13 (1.6%)	2 (0.2%)	815 (97.8%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	53.8	919^th of 2335 public middle schools	60.6%		55.7	901^st of 2344 public middle schools	61.6%	18	97.1	57.2	53.6	56.0	44.8	6.5	56.7	28.0	$13,285
Audie Murphy Middle	Public	6-8	924 W Sioux Rd	Alamo	78516	Hidalgo County	Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 354-2530	790	62	12.7	97.2%	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	786 (99.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54.1	914^th of 2335 public middle schools	60.9%		54.2	945^th of 2344 public middle schools	59.7%	31	98.7	56.2	57.4	57.8	33.7	11.9	58.1	30.4	$13,982
R Yzaguirre Middle	Public	6-8	605 E Fm 495	San Juan	78589	Hidalgo County	Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 354-2630	736	61	12.1	95.1%	6 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	730 (99.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41.2	1363^rd of 2335 public middle schools	41.6%		38.3	1448^th of 2344 public middle schools	38.2%	85	100.0	47.2	42.3	44.8	31.5	24.6	51.7	27.7	$13,926
Liberty Middle	Public	6-8	1212 S Fir St	Pharr	78577	Hidalgo County	Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 354-2610	742	63	11.8	93.9%	6 (0.8%)	1 (0.1%)	735 (99.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45.4	1196^th of 2335 public middle schools	48.8%		44.6	1234^th of 2344 public middle schools	47.4%	38	94.6	55.4	49.1	52.8	28.3	14.0	48.5	30.0	$14,129
Lyndon B Johnson Middle	Public	6-8	500 E Sioux Rd	Pharr	78577	Hidalgo County	Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 354-2590	1,006	71	14.1	87.9%	7 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	998 (99.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42.5	1307^th of 2335 public middle schools	44.0%		43.8	1266^th of 2344 public middle schools	46.0%	41	99.0	43.8	49.4	55.2	25.9	7.2	57.7	26.9	$13,156
Dora M Sauceda Middle	Public	6-8	520 N Vly View Rd	Donna	78537	Hidalgo County	Donna Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 464-1360	553	49	11.2	98.0%	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	551 (99.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33.5	1617^th of 2335 public middle schools	30.7%		30.3	1722^nd of 2344 public middle schools	26.5%	105	100.0	34.4	31.3	40.0	29.3	24.0	55.1	28.3	$12,221
Kennedy Middle	Public	6-8	600 W Hall Acres Rd	Pharr	78577	Hidalgo County	Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 354-2650	519	49	10.5	96.7%	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	514 (99.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	47.4	1127^th of 2335 public middle schools	51.7%		44.8	1229^th of 2344 public middle schools	47.6%	102	91.7	47.5	55.2	56.7	34.0	10.4	55.4	26.7	$17,012
Veterans Middle	Public	6-8	2711 N Golie Rd	Donna	78537	Hidalgo County	Donna Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 464-1350	866	68	12.7	95.4%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	866 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40.1	1403^rd of 2335 public middle schools	39.9%		39.2	1420^th of 2344 public middle schools	39.4%	17	88.9	40.5	35.9	46.3	29.1	27.5	45.9	40.4	$10,471
A P Solis Middle	Public	6-8	700 S Ave	Donna	78537	Hidalgo County	Donna Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 464-1650	646	50	12.9	91.3%	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	644 (99.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	57.5	827^th of 2335 public middle schools	64.6%		63.7	695^th of 2344 public middle schools	70.3%	132	88.9	47.8	50.7	55.2	29.1	41.9	57.7	47.3	$12,832

Frequently Asked Questions about Jesus - Jesse - Vela Junior Middle

How many students attend Jesus - Jesse - Vela Junior Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 654 students attended Jesus - Jesse - Vela Junior Middle.

What district is Jesus - Jesse - Vela Junior Middle in?

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

What is the racial makeup of Jesus - Jesse - Vela Junior Middle?

Students at Jesus - Jesse - Vela Junior Middle are 99% Hispanic.

What high school do graduates of Jesus - Jesse - Vela Junior Middle attend?

Students who attend Jesus - Jesse - Vela Junior Middle usually go on to attend Psja Memorial Early College High School

Is Jesus - Jesse - Vela Junior Middle a good school?

Jesus - Jesse - Vela Junior Middle ranks 1081^st of 2335 Texas middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Jesus - Jesse - Vela Junior 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.