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Jo Nelson Middle

Q: Is Jo Nelson Middle a good school?

Jo Nelson Middle ranks 1304 th of 2335 Texas middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

1304^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,335 Texas Middle Schools

Better than 44% of Texas middle schools

Summary

Jo Nelson Middle in Santa Rosa, TX, is a small, rural school serving 206 students in grades 6-8 within the Santa Rosa Independent School District (Isd), and it has shown a clear, five-year upward trend in its state ranking, now sitting in the 44th percentile. This school stands out for its exceptional advanced math program, with 100% of its 8th graders scoring proficient on the Algebra I End-of-Course exam in the most recent year—far exceeding the state average of 54% and outperforming nearby schools like Mary Hoge Middle and Moises Vela Middle. It also offers a very low student-to-teacher ratio of 10.3:1, creating an intimate learning environment that is a key advantage over larger district schools.

However, the school presents a fascinating contrast: while it excels in advanced math, its standard grade-level math proficiency is a significant weakness, with only about 27% of 6th graders and 34% of 8th graders meeting state benchmarks in 2025-2026. This suggests the school is highly effective at accelerating its top math students but may need to strengthen foundational skills for the broader student body. Social Studies is another persistent challenge, with proficiency rates consistently below 21% in recent years. On the positive side, the school has earned a 4-star rating for its work with Special Education students, ranking in the 88th percentile statewide—a standout achievement compared to many peers.

Compared to its immediate neighbors in the Mercedes Independent School District (Isd) and La Villa Independent School District (Isd), which often rank in the bottom 20% of the state, Jo Nelson Middle is a high-performing outlier, performing more like schools in the Weslaco Independent School District (Isd) and Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District. With higher spending per student ($14,379) and a consistent pattern of improvement, this school offers a uniquely supportive environment for families seeking a small school with a proven track record in advanced math and special education support.

206

Students ?

10.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,020

Per pupil spending ?

89.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

102 S Main
Santa Rosa, TX 78593

(956) 636-9850

District: Santa Rosa Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Jo Nelson Middle usually attend:

High:

Santa Rosa High School

Feeder schools for Jo Nelson Middle:

Elementary:

Elma E Barrera Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

99.5%

African American:

0.5%

See top rated Texas middle schools

Compare Jo Nelson Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 29th percentile in 2016 → 44th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 15 percentile points since 2016

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

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

!Social Studies scores 11 pts below the Texas average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school42%

District avg41%

Texas avg47%

1,304^th of 2,335

Texas public middle schools ?

Bottom 44%▲ up 15 pts since 2016

From bottom 29% (2016) to bottom 44% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

574^th of 951Santa Rosa 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	42.5	1304 of 2335	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	39.0	1423 of 2344	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.8	1647 of 2372	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.1	1596 of 2330	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	25.0	1800 of 2254	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.8	1802 of 2252	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	31.2	1574 of 2193	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.8	1554 of 2080	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	23.9	1650 of 2027	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	35.9	1412 of 1987	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	53.0	998 of 2043	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2014	46.8	1132 of 1987	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2013	36.9	1403 of 1973	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	20.5	1692 of 1951	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	45.4	1266 of 1895	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2010	60.9	708 of 1803	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2009	50.9	1011 of 1763	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2008	50.1	997 of 1718	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2007	37.6	1225 of 1684	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	11.6	1496 of 1585	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	5.2	1543 of 1582	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	19.0	1404 of 1573	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	33.6	1549 of 2182	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.5	1980 of 2118	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	26.0	1761 of 2058	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	31.6	1512 of 2008	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	36.2	926 of 1390	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	43.3	751 of 1428	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	49.6	761 of 1770	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.2	805 of 1720	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	36.1	1076 of 1643	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	22.5	1484 of 1592	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	30.5	1099 of 1445	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.0	1271 of 1376	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	42.0	1272 of 2240	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	29.9	1363 of 1825	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	45.2	1155 of 2242	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.8	1300 of 2241	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.9	1724 of 2221	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.8	1752 of 2151	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.1	1570 of 2047	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.4	1636 of 2008	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	56.6	633 of 1230	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.5	1055 of 1446	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	48.2	1000 of 2141	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	48.5	824 of 1731	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.1	1195 of 2119	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.5	1242 of 2116	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.4	1531 of 2077	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	29.8	1526 of 2043	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	37.6	1239 of 1935	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.8	1309 of 1895	30.9%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	49.7	1024 of 2253	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.6	777 of 1820	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.9	1148 of 2235	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.8	1278 of 2251	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.5	1724 of 2220	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.3	1698 of 2172	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	38.7	1331 of 2073	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.2	1279 of 2039	37.3%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	42.7	1251 of 2253	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	43.6	977 of 1818	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	27.4	1726 of 2246	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.1	1671 of 2245	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.8	1800 of 2228	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	24.8	1705 of 2168	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	32.3	1459 of 2069	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	31.3	1473 of 2030	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Migrant

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2019	19.2	101 of 108	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	27.6	110 of 125	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	42.7	986 of 1956	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	74.6	195 of 1568	87.6%	★★★★☆
2024	74.0	231 of 1891	87.8%	★★★★☆
2023	29.1	1453 of 1815	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	37.8	1049 of 1757	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	39.8	926 of 1712	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	31.4	1203 of 1626	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	42.8	779 of 1597	51.2%	★★★☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)55th percentile+10 vs school

Hispanic (2026)53rd percentile+9 vs school

Special Education (2026)50th percentile+5 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)49th percentile+9 vs school

Male (2026)44th percentile~ school

Female (2026)43rd percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2026)33rd percentile-11 vs school

At Risk (2022)29th percentile+9 vs school

Migrant (2019)6th percentile-22 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Algebra I100%+46 vs state

Reading51%-4 vs state

Mathematics35%-4 vs state

Social Studies21%-11 vs state

★

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Schools Near Jo Nelson 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 EOC Biology (2026)	STAAR EOC English I Reading (2026)	STAAR EOC English II Reading (2026)	STAAR EOC U.S. History (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 EOC Biology End of Course	STAAR EOC English I Reading End of Course	STAAR EOC English II Reading End of Course	STAAR EOC U.S. History 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
Jo Nelson Middle	Public	6-8	102 S Main	Santa Rosa	78593	Cameron County	Santa Rosa Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 636-9850	206	20	10.3	89.3%	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	205 (99.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42.5	1304^th of 2335 public middle schools	44.2%		39	1423^rd of 2344 public middle schools	39.3%	119	100.0					51.0	41.3	59.3	26.5	45.3	33.8	21.0	$13,020
Idea Harlingen College Preparatory	Public, Charter	6-10	24240 Chester Park Rd	Harlingen	78552	Cameron County	Idea Public Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 272-3912	457	35	13.1	88.0%	24 (5.3%)	4 (0.9%)	425 (93.0%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	49.4	1057^th of 2335 public middle schools	54.7%		43.5	1283^rd of 2344 public middle schools	45.3%	226	49.5	79.6	38.5	59.2	60.0	51.5	53.3	59.2	32.4	37.7		18.1	$16,031
W B Green J H	Public	7-8	501 N Canal St	La Feria	78559	Cameron County	La Feria Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 797-8400	391	34	11.6	80.1%	6 (1.5%)	1 (0.3%)	380 (97.2%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	28	1792^nd of 2335 public middle schools	23.3%		30.8	1705^th of 2344 public middle schools	27.3%	87	63.5					47.6	45.7	45.1	25.5	9.9	24.1	16.9	$11,251
Gutierrez Middle	Public	6-8	3205 W Wilson Rd	Harlingen	78552	Cameron County	Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 430-4400	747	60	12.4	69.7%	20 (2.7%)	1 (0.1%)	717 (96.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.1%)	69.8	518^th of 2335 public middle schools	77.8%		58.7	831^st of 2344 public middle schools	64.5%	313	74.2					65.6	68.6	68.9	42.8	22.7	65.2	33.1	$9,990
La Villa Middle	Public	6-8	500 E 9th St	La Villa	78562	Hidalgo County	La Villa Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 262-4760	106	14	7.3	93.4%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	106 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19.8	2048^th of 2335 public middle schools	12.3%		24.9	1893^rd of 2344 public middle schools	19.2%	155	83.3					29.6	13.3	67.9	14.8	0.0	30.4	0.0	$18,908
Noemi Dominguez Elementary	Public	5-6	600 Pancho Maples Dr	La Feria	78559	Cameron County	La Feria Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 797-8430	387	24	16.4	87.3%	17 (4.4%)	2 (0.5%)	366 (94.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)													$8,245
Moises Vela Middle	Public	6-8	801 S Palm Blvd	Harlingen	78552	Cameron County	Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 427-3479	761	57	13.2	66.4%	39 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	717 (94.2%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	71.7	479^th of 2335 public middle schools	79.5%		65.7	641^st of 2344 public middle schools	72.7%	162	93.1					60.4	63.1	68.9	42.9	27.7	66.7	50.5	$11,075
Sgt William G Harrell Middle	Public	6-8	2825 N Fm 491	Mercedes	78570	Hidalgo County	Mercedes Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 514-2300	390	31	12.4	97.7%	10 (2.6%)	1 (0.3%)	378 (96.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)													$14,089
Sgt Manuel Chacon Middle	Public	6-9	801 S Mile 1 E	Mercedes	78570	Hidalgo County	Mercedes Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 514-2200	518	37	14.1	85.9%	11 (2.1%)	1 (0.2%)	505 (97.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	15.8	2144^th of 2335 public middle schools	8.2%		16	2126^th of 2344 public middle schools	9.3%	18						24.2	30.7	39.4	8.2	3.3	33.8	13.2	$9,786
David Ybarra Fine Arts Academy	Public	6	619 N Mile 17 Rd	Edcouch	78538	Hidalgo County	Edcouch-Elsa Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 262-6000	264	23	11.5	90.2%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	264 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	89.3					33.5	43.2	43.2	24.4	14.5	22.8	9.2	$12,077

Frequently Asked Questions about Jo Nelson Middle

What is the racial makeup of Jo Nelson Middle?

Students at Jo Nelson Middle are 100% Hispanic.

Is Jo Nelson Middle a good school?

Jo Nelson Middle ranks 1304^th of 2335 Texas middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of Jo Nelson Middle attend?

Students who attend Jo Nelson Middle usually go on to attend Santa Rosa High School

How many students attend Jo Nelson Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 206 students attended Jo Nelson Middle.

What district is Jo Nelson Middle in?

Santa Rosa Independent School District (Isd)

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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.