Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 78503

There are four elementary schools serving Pre-K through 5th grade in the 78503 zip code of McAllen, TX, split between the Idea Public Schools charter network and the McAllen Independent School District (Isd), all serving a high-poverty student population.

Houston Elementary is the standout performer, earning a 3-star rating and jumping from the 44th to the 64th percentile in state rankings. It leads the area in Reading and Math proficiency, consistently beating state averages. In contrast, Roosevelt Elementary is the most challenged, with a 1-star rating and a steep decline to the 13th percentile, scoring well below district and state averages in nearly every subject. Escandon Elementary and Idea Los Encinos Academy both hold 2-star ratings, with Idea Los Encinos showing competitive Math scores and the strongest Science performance in the area (45.8% proficient vs. a 29.57% state average), despite having the lowest spending per student and the highest student-teacher ratio.

Spending does not predict success here: Escandon spends the most per student ($12,693) but is not the top performer, while Idea Los Encinos spends the least ($10,265) but outperforms in Science. A key strength is bilingual education, as students at Escandon and Houston taking the STAAR Spanish exam often outperform their English-testing peers. Science is a systemic weakness across the zip code, with three of four schools scoring well below the state average, making Idea Los Encinos a notable exception. The divergent trajectories of Houston (rising) and Roosevelt (falling) within the same district highlight that school-level leadership and strategies matter more than district policies alone.