Summary:
This analysis examines four elementary schools in the 78355 zip code (Falfurrias, TX), serving grades Pre-K through 6th, and highlights a stark performance divide between two school districts within the same community.
The most significant finding is the contrast between La Gloria Elementary and the three schools in Brooks County Independent School District (Isd). La Gloria Elementary is the academic standout, earning a 2-star rating and outperforming state averages in reading for 3rd, 5th, and 6th grades. In contrast, Falfurrias Elementary (grades 3-5) has seen its state ranking plummet from the 22nd percentile to the 6th percentile over two years, and its test scores lag significantly behind state averages in both reading and math. Falfurrias Innovation Academy (grades 1-2) spends the most per student at $15,864 but has the highest student-teacher ratio (18.3:1), and no test scores are available to assess its effectiveness. Lasater Elementary (PK-K) has no standardized test data, making academic comparison impossible. Socioeconomic factors appear to play a role, as the three Brooks County ISD schools have a free/reduced lunch rate above 92%, while La Gloria Elementary’s rate is 60.5%.
A universal weakness across the zip code is math proficiency; no grade level at either Falfurrias Elementary or La Gloria Elementary met the state average in math for the 2025-2026 school year. This suggests a systemic challenge in math instruction affecting the entire area. For parents, the data clearly points to La Gloria Elementary as the strongest academic option, while the Brooks County ISD schools face significant struggles, particularly Falfurrias Elementary, which is declining rapidly relative to the rest of the state.
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