Summary:
This analysis examines four middle schools in the 78504 zip code of McAllen, Texas, serving grades 6-8 across the McAllen Independent School District (Isd) and the Sharyland Independent School District (Isd).
Morris Middle is the standout school in the area, earning a 5-star rating and ranking in the top 10% of Texas middle schools. It has the largest enrollment (999 students) and the lowest percentage of students receiving free/reduced lunch (45%). Michael E Fossum Middle is a strong performer with a 4-star rating and perfect 100% Algebra I proficiency for two consecutive years. Sharyland North J H is a solid mid-range school with a 4-star rating but lower rankings (70th-75th percentile). De Leon Middle is the lowest-performing school, with a 3-star rating and the highest percentage of economically disadvantaged students (87%).
Key findings show a strong inverse correlation between economic disadvantage and performance, with Morris Middle outperforming De Leon Middle despite serving a more affluent population. All four schools excel in Algebra I, with proficiency rates from 94% to 100%, far exceeding the state average of 54%. However, 8th-grade Social Studies is a consistent weakness, with Sharyland North JH and De Leon Middle scoring well below the state average. Interestingly, spending per student does not correlate with performance—the two lowest-performing schools spend the most ($10,534 and $10,896 per student), while top-performing Morris Middle spends the least ($9,467). De Leon Middle also has the smallest class sizes (11.8 student-teacher ratio) but still struggles academically, highlighting that socioeconomic factors and school-level challenges outweigh the benefits of smaller classes.
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