Summary:
The two middle schools in the 78589 zip code of San Juan, TX, Austin Middle and R. Yzaguirre Middle, serve grades 6 through 8 within the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (ISD). Both schools have similar enrollment sizes and serve a high-poverty population, with over 90% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. The district itself is ranked in the 68th percentile in Texas, indicating a solid, above-average performance level.
Austin Middle is the clear standout, consistently ranking higher than R. Yzaguirre Middle. In the 2025-2026 school year, Austin ranked in the 61st percentile (3 stars) compared to Yzaguirre's 42nd percentile (2 stars), a gap of nearly 20 percentile points. Austin outperforms Yzaguirre in nearly every core subject, including Reading, Math, Science, and Social Studies. Notably, Austin's average reading proficiency (55.6%) is on par with the state average, while Yzaguirre's (44.8%) is significantly below. Both schools achieve near-perfect proficiency rates in Algebra I (97% and 100%), nearly double the state average, suggesting a strong honors track despite challenges in standard math curriculum.
Key metrics reveal interesting contrasts. R. Yzaguirre Middle spends $925 more per student ($12,450 vs. $11,525) than Austin Middle, yet Austin achieves better academic results, suggesting more efficient resource use. Both schools have zero dropout rates and identical student-to-teacher ratios of 12.1. A notable "dip" occurs in 7th-grade math, with Austin's proficiency plummeting to 6.49% and Yzaguirre's to 24.64%, likely due to advanced students being pulled into Algebra I. Overall, Austin Middle shows a steady upward trend in state ranking, while Yzaguirre has also improved from a lower base, indicating positive momentum for the district.
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