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Zapata South Elementary

Q: Is Zapata South Elementary a good school?

Zapata South Elementary ranks 1541 st of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1541^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 67% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Zapata South Elementary in Zapata, TX, serves 428 students in grades PK-5 as part of the Zapata County Independent School District (Isd), and has recently achieved its highest-ever state ranking, jumping to the 67th percentile and earning a 3-star rating.

This school stands out for its exceptional recent performance with its core student population, ranking in the 76th percentile for Hispanic students and the 75th percentile for low socio-economic status students in the 2025-2026 school year. This is a significant differentiator from nearby schools like Zapata North Elementary, which has historically held a higher overall ranking but has now been overtaken by Zapata South. The most dramatic improvement is in 4th grade, where reading proficiency nearly doubled from 40% to 74% and math proficiency jumped from 35% to 74% between the 2023-2024 and 2025-2026 school years. However, the school shows a "Jekyll and Hyde" pattern: 3rd-grade scores (reading at 39%, math at 37%) remain well below state averages, while 4th and 5th-grade scores are above them. This suggests the school's strength lies in upper elementary instruction, with 3rd grade being a critical area for improvement.

Despite the promising turnaround, Zapata South faces significant challenges. Fifth-grade science remains a persistent weakness, with only 7% of students proficient compared to the state average of 30%—the lowest among nearby schools like Benavides Elementary (29%) and Fidel And Andrea R Villarreal Elementary (18%). Additionally, the school struggles with its special education population, ranking in the 17th percentile, and shows inconsistent results for English Language Learners. The school's recent success is heavily dependent on a single exceptional 4th-grade cohort, making the turnaround fragile. To sustain its upward trajectory, the school must replicate what worked for that cohort across all grade levels and address the gaps in science and special education.

428

Students ?

13.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,972

Per pupil spending ?

86.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

500 Delmar St
Zapata, TX 78076

(956) 765-4332

District: Zapata County Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Zapata South Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Zapata Middle
High:	Zapata High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

100.0%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 38th percentile in 2016 → 67th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Texas average (56% vs 51% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 29 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Texas median (67th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school56%

District avg52%

Texas avg51%

1,541^st of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Top 33%▲ up 29 pts since 2016

From bottom 38% (2016) to top 33% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 3Elementary Schools in the Zapata County Independent School District (Isd)

584^th of 951Zapata County 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	61.5	1541 of 4627	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	43.4	2543 of 4651	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.6	2689 of 4710	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.7	2754 of 4647	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.7	2815 of 4581	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.1	2832 of 4578	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	34.3	3074 of 4479	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.0	2480 of 4359	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2017	30.0	3155 of 4329	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	42.9	2663 of 4286	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	30.9	3297 of 4320	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	40.1	2902 of 4260	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2013	49.8	2312 of 4221	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2012	45.1	2581 of 4206	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2011	56.4	2038 of 4095	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2010	18.6	3642 of 3937	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	16.1	3640 of 3884	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	25.3	3271 of 3768	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	23.3	3300 of 3724	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	15.1	3282 of 3476	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	27.3	2931 of 3475	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	33.8	2735 of 3465	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	25.1	3783 of 4461	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	49.3	1892 of 4331	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	29.6	3433 of 4295	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	48.9	2007 of 4240	52.7%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	46.9	1454 of 2918	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.5	1889 of 3668	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.7	2537 of 3556	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.6	3001 of 3487	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	37.5	2223 of 3446	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	22.4	2999 of 3333	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	58.9	1069 of 3226	66.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	57.9	1683 of 4575	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	46.4	1942 of 3744	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	52.7	2006 of 4658	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	40.0	2785 of 4588	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.5	2684 of 4561	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.8	2817 of 4499	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.2	2526 of 4348	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.9	2304 of 4306	46.5%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2023	51.2	1872 of 2980	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.6	1914 of 2958	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	41.6	2032 of 3006	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	61.8	1395 of 3184	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	70.8	813 of 3106	73.8%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	67.3	1080 of 4413	75.5%	★★★★☆
2025	53.7	1538 of 3644	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.9	1994 of 4465	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.0	2272 of 4401	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.9	2518 of 4376	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.0	2383 of 4329	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.9	2631 of 4188	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.9	2071 of 4168	50.3%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	65.5	1121 of 4520	75.2%	★★★★☆
2025	50.7	1732 of 3705	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.6	2095 of 4594	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	45.5	2520 of 4521	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.5	2519 of 4477	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.8	3007 of 4451	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.4	3434 of 4309	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	51.1	1960 of 4264	54.0%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	64.1	1355 of 4582	70.4%	★★★★☆
2025	48.5	1804 of 3739	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	37.8	2958 of 4647	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.5	2725 of 4585	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.9	3073 of 4563	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.0	2802 of 4498	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	29.7	3324 of 4357	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	37.7	2718 of 4319	37.1%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	43.9	2156 of 4301	49.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	25.7	2939 of 3549	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	44.8	2238 of 4292	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.9	2156 of 4086	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.2	2641 of 3952	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	19.2	3694 of 3799	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	21.0	3388 of 3684	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	27.6	2877 of 3558	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2018	39.9	1983 of 3127	36.6%	★★☆☆☆

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)76th percentile+9 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)75th percentile+9 vs school

Male (2026)70th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2026)63rd percentile-3 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)50th percentile+5 vs school

Special Education (2026)50th percentile-17 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2023)37th percentile-4 vs school

White (2018)37th percentile-7 vs school

At Risk (2022)15th percentile-23 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Reading57%+3 vs state

Mathematics54%+7 vs state

★

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Schools Near Zapata South 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 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	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 Reading 3rd Grade	STAAR Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 5th Grade	Total
Zapata South Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	500 Delmar St	Zapata	78076	Zapata County	Zapata County Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 765-4332	428	31	13.8	86.7%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	428 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	61.5	1541^st of 4627 public elementary schools	66.7%		43.4	2543^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	45.3%	1002	39.0	73.8	62.9	37.3	73.8	56.3	$9,972
Zapata North Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	502 E 17th Ave	Zapata	78076	Zapata County	Zapata County Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 765-6921	571	37	15.5	88.6%	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	570 (99.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54.2	1902^nd of 4627 public elementary schools	58.9%		61.3	1515^th of 4651 public elementary schools	67.4%	387	36.3	46.5	63.0	33.8	55.8	71.7	$7,944
Fidel And Andrea R Villarreal Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	805 Mira Flores St	Zapata	78076	Zapata County	Zapata County Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 765-4321	445	31	14.4	93.5%	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	444 (99.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	48.4	2195^th of 4627 public elementary schools	52.6%		44.3	2483^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	46.6%	288	39.3	34.6	50.8	50.8	49.1	65.6	$9,438
Benavides Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	307 Lincoln St	San Ygnacio	78067	Zapata County	Zapata County Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 765-5611	51	6	8.5	86.3%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)		58.3			75.0		$13,122

Frequently Asked Questions about Zapata South Elementary

How many students attend Zapata South Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 428 students attended Zapata South Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Zapata South Elementary?

Students at Zapata South Elementary are 100% Hispanic.

What district is Zapata South Elementary in?

Zapata County Independent School District (Isd)

What schools do graduates of Zapata South Elementary attend?

Students who attend Zapata South Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Zapata Middle
High : Zapata High School

Is Zapata South Elementary a good school?

Zapata South Elementary ranks 1541^st of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Zapata South Elementary!

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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.