Best Public Schools in Zip Code 78537

The 20 schools in zip code 78537, serving the Donna, Texas area, are predominantly part of the Donna Independent School District (Isd), with one charter school from Idea Public Schools, and face significant challenges due to high economic disadvantage, with free or reduced lunch rates ranging from 82% to nearly 99%.

The standout schools in this area are A P Solis Middle and Le Noir Elementary, both earning 3-star ratings and ranking in the 64th and 65th percentiles statewide, respectively. Le Noir Elementary excels in 4th-grade Math with an 86.57% proficiency rate, nearly double the state average, while A P Solis Middle leads in 8th-grade Math and Social Studies. In contrast, Daniel Singleterry Senior Elementary is the lowest-ranked school with a 0-star rating and 6th percentile ranking, and Donna North High School is the lowest-ranked high school at the 18th percentile. The charter school, Idea College Prep, outperforms both Donna ISD high schools, ranking in the 48th percentile with a 98.2% graduation rate and higher test scores in Biology (75.16%) and U.S. History (78.57%).

A key finding is the "Algebra I Anomaly" in middle schools, where three out of four—W A Todd Middle, A P Solis Middle, and Dora M Sauceda Middle—achieved 100% proficiency on the Algebra I EOC exam, far exceeding district (33.87%) and state (47.01%) averages. However, this success does not translate to general math scores, which remain below state averages. The data also shows a stark correlation between poverty and performance, with the highest-ranked schools having the lowest free/reduced lunch rates, while bilingual education programs show inconsistent results, with some schools like Le Noir Elementary achieving 87.5% proficiency in Spanish 3rd-grade Reading, while others like Daniel Singleterry Senior have 0% proficiency.