Summary:
The two public schools serving zip code 78341 in Benavides, Texas, are both part of the small, rural Benavides Independent School District (Isd), which serves a total of just 148 students from Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade.
The standout school in this area is Benavides Secondary, which serves grades 6-12 and has shown remarkable improvement. After ranking in the 21st percentile just two years ago, it now sits in the 69th percentile statewide, boasting a 96.6% graduation rate and a 0% dropout rate. The school excels in high school science, with a 90.91% proficiency rate on the Biology End-of-Course exam, and performs well in Algebra I (75% proficient) and English I Reading (83.33% proficient). However, the school faces a significant "middle school math crisis," with 0% proficiency in 6th and 7th-grade math, suggesting that only a select group of well-prepared students are reaching the advanced Algebra I coursework. In stark contrast, Benavides Elementary (grades PK-5) is struggling profoundly, ranking in the 0th percentile (4,630 out of 4,651 schools) statewide. Its 3rd-grade reading proficiency is just 27.27% (compared to the state average of 51.08%), and its 3rd-grade math proficiency is a mere 9.09% (state average: 44.33%).
The most critical takeaway is the stark performance gap between the two schools. While the district spends over $20,000 per student—far above the state average—the Elementary school is producing the lowest possible academic results, suggesting a potential "pipeline" problem where students enter with significant deficits that are not addressed until secondary school. The small student population (e.g., 87 students in grades 6-12) means that a single year's test scores can be heavily influenced by just a handful of students, so dramatic year-over-year fluctuations may not always reflect systemic changes in teaching quality. Despite these challenges, the Secondary school's rapid improvement and strong science outcomes offer a bright spot for the district.
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