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Downs Fine Arts Academy

Q: Is Downs Fine Arts Academy a good school?

Downs Fine Arts Academy ranks 1082 nd of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1082^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 77% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Downs Fine Arts Academy is a PK-5 elementary school in San Benito, TX, serving 426 students within the San Benito Consolidated Independent School District. This school stands out as the highest-ranked elementary school in its district, climbing from the 47th percentile statewide in 2021-2022 to the 77th percentile for the 2025-2026 school year. Its strongest differentiator is exceptional mathematics instruction, with 5th graders achieving a 68.1% proficiency rate—18 points higher than the state average and 30 points higher than the next closest competitor, Cash Elementary (59.5%). This consistent math strength across all grade levels is a hallmark of the school's academic program.

The school is particularly effective at serving its Hispanic student population, who ranked in the 85th percentile statewide in 2025-2026—8 points higher than the school's overall rank. This indicates the school excels at closing opportunity gaps for its largest demographic group. Additionally, the Special Education program has shown dramatic improvement, jumping from the 65th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 82nd percentile in 2024-2025, suggesting recent effective interventions. However, 5th Grade Science remains a clear area for growth, with only 19.6% proficiency in 2024-2025, below both district and state averages. The Gifted and Talented program, while solid at the 63rd percentile, has not shown the same growth trajectory.

Compared to nearby schools, Downs is a clear outlier. While Raul Garza Junior Steam Academy and Cash Elementary are solid performers, Downs is the only school in the district consistently achieving a 4-star rating. This contrasts sharply with Roberts Elementary (0 stars) and Fred Booth Global Leadership Academy (1 star). The "Fine Arts Academy" theme may be a powerful differentiator, attracting motivated families and fostering a unique, high-achieving school culture not replicated elsewhere in the district. The school's lower free/reduced lunch rate (72.5%) compared to Roberts (95%) and Booth (93%) hints at a different demographic profile, though strong subgroup performance shows effectiveness across all student groups.

426

Students ?

13.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,802

Per pupil spending ?

72.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1302 N Dowling
San Benito, TX 78586-5227

(956) 361-6720

District: San Benito Consolidated Independent School District

Students who attend Downs Fine Arts Academy usually attend:

Middle:	Miller Jordan Middle
High:	San Benito High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

94.6%

White:

4.9%

Asian:

0.2%

See top rated Texas elementary schools

Compare Downs Fine Arts Academy to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 52nd percentile in 2016 → 77th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Texas average (60% vs 51% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 23% of Texas elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 25 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school60%

District avg50%

Texas avg51%

1,082^nd of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Top 23%▲ up 25 pts since 2016

From top 48% (2016) to top 23% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 11Elementary Schools in the San Benito Consolidated Independent School District

534^th of 951San Benito 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	71.3	1082 of 4627	76.6%	★★★★☆
2025	63.8	1391 of 4651	70.1%	★★★★☆
2024	61.1	1544 of 4710	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.6	1681 of 4647	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.2	2422 of 4581	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	50.2	2019 of 4578	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	70.0	1058 of 4479	76.4%	★★★★☆
2018	61.6	1410 of 4359	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	53.2	1794 of 4329	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	54.8	2065 of 4286	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2015	70.1	1265 of 4320	70.7%	★★★★☆
2014	58.8	1838 of 4260	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	68.9	1233 of 4221	70.8%	★★★★☆
2012	62.2	1585 of 4206	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2011	73.3	955 of 4095	76.7%	★★★★☆
2010	69.8	1124 of 3937	71.5%	★★★★☆
2009	62.0	1605 of 3884	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2008	73.9	810 of 3768	78.5%	★★★★☆
2007	64.2	1413 of 3724	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2006	61.2	1465 of 3476	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2005	61.0	1474 of 3475	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2004	68.2	1070 of 3465	69.1%	★★★☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	46.7	2339 of 4461	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.1	2268 of 4331	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.3	1947 of 4295	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	41.6	2527 of 4240	40.4%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	69.8	622 of 2918	78.7%	★★★★☆
2024	45.8	1875 of 3668	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	18.7	3015 of 3226	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	72.5	991 of 4575	78.3%	★★★★☆
2025	61.1	1241 of 3744	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.0	1323 of 4658	71.6%	★★★★☆
2023	58.6	1654 of 4588	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	51.6	2050 of 4561	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	58.7	1568 of 4499	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	69.5	1047 of 4348	75.9%	★★★★☆
2018	54.6	1769 of 4306	58.9%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	64.6	1147 of 3075	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	61.8	1186 of 2619	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.1	1741 of 2980	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.9	2219 of 2958	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	59.3	1424 of 3006	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.8	972 of 3184	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.0	1011 of 3106	67.5%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	76.3	659 of 4413	85.1%	★★★★☆
2025	71.5	714 of 3644	80.4%	★★★★☆
2024	68.3	1043 of 4465	76.6%	★★★★☆
2023	65.0	1200 of 4401	72.7%	★★★★☆
2022	53.5	1867 of 4376	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.6	1374 of 4329	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	75.6	632 of 4188	84.9%	★★★★☆
2018	67.9	964 of 4168	76.9%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	67.4	1020 of 4520	77.4%	★★★★☆
2025	70.1	728 of 3705	80.4%	★★★★☆
2024	63.6	1276 of 4594	72.2%	★★★★☆
2023	61.3	1423 of 4521	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	38.8	2912 of 4477	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	60.8	1355 of 4451	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	71.8	715 of 4309	83.4%	★★★★☆
2018	63.3	1192 of 4264	72.0%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	64.6	1324 of 4582	71.1%	★★★★☆
2025	67.7	1001 of 3739	73.2%	★★★★☆
2024	55.4	1859 of 4647	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.2	1793 of 4585	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	40.4	2715 of 4563	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	42.5	2407 of 4498	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	69.8	1020 of 4357	76.6%	★★★★☆
2018	65.5	1192 of 4319	72.4%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	54.2	1504 of 4301	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	69.8	656 of 3549	81.5%	★★★★☆
2024	71.1	750 of 4292	82.5%	★★★★☆
2023	59.9	1093 of 4086	73.3%	★★★★☆
2022	48.2	1689 of 3952	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	60.3	921 of 3799	75.8%	★★★★☆

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)

Hispanic (2026)85th percentile+8 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)79th percentile+9 vs school

Female (2026)78th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)77th percentile~ school

Male (2026)71st percentile-6 vs school

Special Education (2026)65th percentile-12 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)63rd percentile-14 vs school

At Risk (2022)48th percentile~ school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics60%+13 vs state

Reading59%+5 vs state

★

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Schools Near Downs Fine Arts Academy

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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 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 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 Social Studies 8th Grade	Total
Downs Fine Arts Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	1302 N Dowling	San Benito	78586	Cameron County	San Benito Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 361-6720	426	31	13.7	72.5%	21 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	403 (94.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	71.3	1082^nd of 4627 public elementary schools	76.6%		63.8	1391^st of 4651 public elementary schools	70.1%	309			65.4	52.8	59.6			55.8	56.6	68.1				$11,802
Cash Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	400 N Ponciana St	San Benito	78586	Cameron County	San Benito Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 361-6700	611	36	16.9	82.2%	13 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	598 (97.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	64.6	1371^st of 4627 public elementary schools	70.4%		64.1	1376^th of 4651 public elementary schools	70.4%	5			56.1	66.3	55.8			50.6	47.5	59.5				$9,228
Roberts Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	451 Biddle Ave	San Benito	78586	Cameron County	San Benito Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 361-6740	303	20	15.2	95.0%	6 (2.0%)	1 (0.3%)	296 (97.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15.1	4283^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	7.4%		16.7	4195^th of 4651 public elementary schools	9.8%	88			24.2	23.5	31.0			36.4	29.4	31.0				$11,094
Fred Booth Global Leadership Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	705 Zaragoza St	San Benito	78586	Cameron County	San Benito Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 361-6860	441	28	15.9	93.2%	16 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	423 (95.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18.6	4123^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	10.9%		26.1	3662^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	21.3%	461			27.1	35.2	50.9			6.1	37.0	25.4				$9,600
Sullivan Environmental Science Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	900 Elizabeth St	San Benito	78586	Cameron County	San Benito Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 361-6880	367	26	14.0	92.6%	13 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	354 (96.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46.3	2314^th of 4627 public elementary schools	50.0%		53.7	1920^th of 4651 public elementary schools	58.7%	394			36.8	31.0	58.6			36.8	47.6	62.1				$9,987
Raul Garza Junior Steam Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	848 8th St	San Benito	78586	Cameron County	San Benito Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 361-6900	437	27	16.1	75.3%	12 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	425 (97.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	57.7	1728^th of 4627 public elementary schools	62.7%		48.6	2218^th of 4651 public elementary schools	52.3%	490			63.6	47.4	62.3			60.0	46.6	37.7				$10,537
Idea San Benito Academy	Public, Charter	K-5	2151 Russell Ln	San Benito	78586	Cameron County	Idea Public Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 399-5252	685	36	18.9	80.3%	25 (3.6%)	4 (0.6%)	648 (94.6%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.4%)	62.7	1476^th of 4627 public elementary schools	68.1%		58.4	1652^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	64.5%	176			51.4	61.7	62.5			45.1	60.9	46.1				$10,983
Judge Oscar De La Fuente Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2700 S Sam Houston	San Benito	78586	Cameron County	San Benito Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 361-6820	271	20	13.5	83.0%	7 (2.6%)	2 (0.7%)	261 (96.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40.8	2673^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	42.2%		39.6	2794^th of 4651 public elementary schools	39.9%	121			50.0	58.5	38.1			34.3	51.2	33.3				$13,726
Horizon Montessori III - Stem Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	2802 S 77 Sunshine Strip	Harlingen	78550	Cameron County	Horizon Montessori Public Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 423-8200	291	19	15.0	70.8%	12 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	273 (93.8%)	6 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40.6	2700^th of 4627 public elementary schools	41.6%		44.6	2466^th of 4651 public elementary schools	47.0%	234	62.5	87.5	40.9	37.9	61.1	53.3	40.0	50.0	37.9	38.9	33.3	40.0	37.5	$9,065
Treasure Hills Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2525 Haine Dr	Harlingen	78550	Cameron County	Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 427-3180	758	49	15.3	69.4%	40 (5.3%)	6 (0.8%)	696 (91.8%)	11 (1.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.5%)	50.9	2070^th of 4627 public elementary schools	55.3%		45.8	2396^th of 4651 public elementary schools	48.5%	326			46.5	56.4	64.7			34.2	50.9	42.2				$9,099

Frequently Asked Questions about Downs Fine Arts Academy

What is the racial makeup of Downs Fine Arts Academy?

Students at Downs Fine Arts Academy are 95% Hispanic, 5% White.

Is Downs Fine Arts Academy a good school?

Downs Fine Arts Academy ranks 1082^nd of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Downs Fine Arts Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 426 students attended Downs Fine Arts Academy.

What schools do graduates of Downs Fine Arts Academy attend?

Students who attend Downs Fine Arts Academy usually go on to attend:

Middle : Miller Jordan Middle
High : San Benito High School

What district is Downs Fine Arts Academy in?

San Benito Consolidated Independent School District

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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.