Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 78578

Zip code 78578 in Port Isabel, Texas, is home to two elementary schools, Garriga Elementary and Derry Elementary, both serving grades PK through 5 within the Point Isabel Independent School District (ISD), a district ranked in the 29th percentile statewide.

Derry Elementary stands out as the higher-performing school in the area, consistently earning a 3-star rating and ranking in the 56th to 62nd percentile over the last three years, compared to Garriga Elementary's 2-star rating and lower percentile rankings. Derry outperforms Garriga in nearly every core subject, particularly in mathematics where Derry's 3rd graders scored 55.38% proficient versus Garriga's 33.33%, and in 5th grade science (41.43% vs. 25.45%). Despite both schools serving high-poverty populations with over 85% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, Derry achieves above state averages in 4th and 5th grade math and 5th grade science, suggesting effective instructional strategies. Notably, both schools show strong results for English Language Learners taking the STAAR test in Spanish, with students outperforming the state average for Spanish test-takers by wide margins.

Both schools have nearly identical spending per student (around $10,700) and student-teacher ratios (about 14.3), making the performance gap between them particularly striking and likely attributable to differences in school culture or teaching practices. A key concern for the district is reading proficiency, as only one of six grade-level reading scores across both schools met or exceeded the state average in the most recent year. Garriga Elementary presents a puzzling trend where its 5th graders significantly outperform the state average in reading (60.71% vs. 57.83%), while its younger students lag behind, possibly indicating a strong teacher or targeted intervention for older students.