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Best Public Schools in Zip Code 78516


At a glance
12
Schools
8,097
Students
2
Districts
Top rankedMarcia R Garza1150th of 4,627 Texas elementary schools
Biggest riser
Zeferino Farias Elementary up 1,596 spots statewide this year
Smallest classes
Psja James Bowie Daep 7.3 students per teacher
SchoolDigger ratings
4★
3★
2★
1★
2 schools without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)
Summary:

The 13 schools in zip code 78516 (Alamo, TX) serve approximately 9,673 students from Pre-K through 12th grade, primarily within the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (Isd), which operates nine of the schools, alongside two Idea Public Schools, one Donna Independent School District (Isd) school, and one Vanguard Academy charter school.

The standout schools in this area are defined by exceptional math performance and strong improvement. Audie Murphy Middle and Jesus - Jesse - Vela Junior Middle both achieved a remarkable 100% proficiency rate on the Algebra I STAAR EOC exam, far exceeding state averages. Marcia R Garza is the most improved school, jumping from the 45th to the 75th percentile. Vanguard Mozart leads with a perfect 100% graduation rate and strong English II scores. In contrast, the two Idea Public SchoolsIdea College Preparatory Alamo and Idea Academy Alamo—consistently underperform compared to PSJA ISD schools, with Idea Academy Alamo ranking in the 28th percentile. Capt D Salinas II Elementary stands out for its bilingual program, with Spanish math scores roughly double the district average.

Key metrics show that PSJA ISD is the highest-performing district in the zip code, ranking in the 68th percentile statewide. Graduation rates are strong at Psja Memorial Early College High School (96.4%) and Idea College Preparatory Alamo (96.5%). Per-student spending varies widely, from $13,596 at Jesus Vela Junior Middle to $8,902 at Idea Academy Alamo. A systemic weakness across the area is in Science and Social Studies, with 5th-grade Science proficiency at Zeferino Farias Elementary at just 12.35% compared to the state average of 29.57%. Overall, while economic challenges are universal, school-level factors drive significant performance differences, making it crucial for parents to compare individual schools.

Ranking:
Map legend
E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private




Cities Near Zip Code 78516

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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.

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