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South Palm Gardens High School

Public Grades 9-12

1702^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,009 Texas High Schools

Better than 15% of Texas high schools

Summary

South Palm Gardens High School is a very small high school in Mercedes, TX, serving 72 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Weslaco Independent School District (Isd), where over 93% of students come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

This school stands out for its exceptional support of English Language Learners (ELL), ranking in the 75th percentile for this group—a stark contrast to its overall 15th percentile ranking. The school invests heavily in its students, spending $38,407 per pupil, which is more than three times the spending at nearby Weslaco East High School ($11,555). This investment translates to a low student-teacher ratio of about 11.5 to 14.8 students per teacher, allowing for more individualized attention. While STAAR test scores are low, the school maintains a consistently high graduation rate of 92-95%, comparable to Weslaco East (93.8%) and far exceeding other small alternative schools like Premier H S Of Weslaco (50.9%). This suggests the school prioritizes keeping students on track to graduate over high test scores.

Compared to other alternative schools in the area, South Palm Gardens is a relatively effective option. It has a higher graduation rate than Triumph Public High Schools-Mercedes (84.0%) and is on par with or better than peers like the Career And College Development Center. However, it operates in the shadow of high-performing magnet schools like the South Texas Independent School District (Isd) Science Academy (98th percentile), which serve a different student population. The school shows signs of improvement, with its ELL performance jumping from the 40th to the 75th percentile in recent years, indicating that targeted strategies are beginning to work for its most vulnerable students.

Students ?

14.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,809

Per pupil spending ?

93.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2607 Camino Real Viejo
Mercedes, TX 78570-9673

(956) 565-0404

District: Weslaco Independent School District (Isd)

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

98.6%

White:

1.4%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 7th percentile in 2011 → 15th in 2026

Strengths

✓94% graduate within 4 years

✓Ranking is trending up — up 8 percentile points since 2011

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (40% vs 61% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (15th percentile)

!English II Reading scores 29 pts below the Texas average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school40%

District avg55%

Texas avg61%

1,702^nd of 2,009

Texas public high schools ?

Bottom 15%▲ up 12 pts since 2016

From bottom 3% (2016) to bottom 15% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 5High Schools in the Weslaco Independent School District (Isd)

521^st of 951Weslaco 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	16.5	1702 of 2009	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.3	1700 of 1961	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	9.9	1670 of 1857	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	6.3	1673 of 1797	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	4.9	1696 of 1777	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	1.9	1707 of 1762	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	14.5	1542 of 1743	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	31.8	1309 of 1734	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	0.5	1589 of 1603	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	12.2	1557 of 1672	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	10.9	1475 of 1568	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	8.4	1466 of 1539	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	29.8	1258 of 1510	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	19.6	1324 of 1497	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	35.0	1092 of 1430	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	27.1	1202 of 1429	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	49.4	911 of 1427	36.2%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	60.4	296 of 1195	75.2%	★★★★☆
2023	34.0	817 of 1371	40.4%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	23.2	1560 of 1936	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.9	1560 of 1891	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	20.3	1551 of 1860	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.7	1589 of 1820	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	20.1	1625 of 1937	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.7	1585 of 1897	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	24.7	1523 of 1954	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	12.4	1688 of 1913	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2026)75th percentile+60 vs school

Male (2026)22nd percentile+7 vs school

Female (2026)19th percentile+4 vs school

Hispanic (2026)17th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)16th percentile~ school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

U.S. History48%-23 vs state

English I Reading33%-22 vs state

English II Reading31%-29 vs state

★

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Schools Near South Palm Gardens High School

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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
South Palm Gardens High School	Public	9-12	2607 Camino Real Viejo	Mercedes	78570	Hidalgo County	Weslaco Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(956) 565-0404	72	5	14.8	93.1%	1 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	71 (98.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16.5	1702^nd of 2009 public high schools	15.3%					(n/a)			33.3	30.8	47.6								$20,809
South Texas Independent School District (Isd) Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual	6-12	100 Med High Dr	Mercedes	78570	Hidalgo County	South Texas Independent School District (Isd)	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(956) 514-4201	212	16	13.6	63.7%	41 (19.3%)	2 (0.9%)	165 (77.8%)	3 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	62.3	614^th of 2009 public high schools	69.4%					(n/a)	47.8	63.0	71.4	79.4	94.9	76.2	63.6	59.1	47.6		42.2	29.6	$13,736
South Texas Independent School District (Isd) Health Professions	Public, Magnet	9-12	700 Med High Dr	Mercedes	78570	Hidalgo County	South Texas Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 565-2237	781	54	14.5	64.1%	44 (5.6%)	11 (1.4%)	667 (85.4%)	55 (7.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.4%)	78.8	236^th of 2009 public high schools	88.3%		81	209^th of 1974 public high schools	89.4%	27	57.1	80.0	83.9	85.1	76.4								$16,697
South Texas Independent School District (Isd) Science Academy	Public, Magnet	9-12	900 Med High Dr	Mercedes	78570	Hidalgo County	South Texas Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 565-4620	840	65	12.8	54.8%	69 (8.2%)	14 (1.7%)	696 (82.9%)	54 (6.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (0.8%)	84	137^th of 2009 public high schools	93.2%		85.9	124^th of 1974 public high schools	93.7%	13	41.2	81.6	83.0	83.7	91.8								$14,808
Weslaco East High School	Public	9-12	810 S Pleasantview Dr	Weslaco	78596	Hidalgo County	Weslaco Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 969-6950	2,066	127	16.2	86.0%	11 (0.5%)	4 (0.2%)	2,050 (99.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34.9	1364^th of 2009 public high schools	32.1%		26.4	1487^th of 1974 public high schools	24.7%	123	56.9	59.8	35.8	47.5	60.4								$11,589
Mercedes Early College Academy	Public	9-12	950 W 6th St	Mercedes	78570	Hidalgo County	Mercedes Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 514-5180	355	22	15.9	80.0%	5 (1.4%)	1 (0.3%)	348 (98.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	55.5	807^th of 2009 public high schools	59.8%		62.7	607^th of 1974 public high schools	69.3%	200	44.2	68.1	40.8	73.9	73.6								$8,738
Premier H S Of Weslaco	Public, Charter	9-12	2419 Haggar Ave	Weslaco	78596	Hidalgo County	Premier High Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 781-8800	112	4	25.3	95.5%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	112 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36.2	1331^st of 2009 public high schools	33.7%		20.3	1608^th of 1974 public high schools	18.5%	277	64.7	43.8	40.0	50.0	61.5								$8,780
Texasworks - Weslaco	Public, Charter	9-12	2419 E Haggar Ave	Weslaco	78599	Hidalgo County	Texas Works	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(972) 316-3663	29	1	29.0		1 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (96.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5.9	1864^th of 2009 public high schools	7.2%					(n/a)	20.0			28.6	20.0
Career And College Development Center	Public	9-12	814 E Plaza St	Weslaco	78596	Hidalgo County	Weslaco Independent School District (Isd)	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(956) 969-6916	50	2	25.0	98.0%	1 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (98.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1.7	1991^st of 2009 public high schools	0.9%					(n/a)	0.0	14.3	11.1	0.0	14.3
Idea Weslaco Pike College Preparatory	Public, Charter	6-12	1000 E Pike Blvd	Weslaco	78596	Hidalgo County	Idea Public Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 351-4850	758	52	14.5	87.1%	17 (2.2%)	2 (0.3%)	738 (97.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	60.3	674^th of 2009 public high schools	66.5%		46.1	1013^th of 1974 public high schools	48.7%	339	56.7	81.2	57.0	69.1	74.3	57.4	60.2	61.3	28.7	39.3		40.3	$12,716

Frequently Asked Questions about South Palm Gardens High School

Is South Palm Gardens High School a good school?

South Palm Gardens High School ranks in the bottom 15.3% of Texas high schools.

What district is South Palm Gardens High School in?

Weslaco Independent School District (Isd)

How many students attend South Palm Gardens High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 72 students attended South Palm Gardens High School.

What is the racial makeup of South Palm Gardens High School?

Students at South Palm Gardens High School are 99% Hispanic, 1% White.

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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.