Best Public Schools in Zip Code 78596

The 21 schools in zip code 78596 (Weslaco, TX) serve a predominantly economically disadvantaged community, with an average free/reduced lunch rate of 84.5%, and are primarily part of the Weslaco Independent School District (Isd), with additional campuses from Idea Public Schools and Premier High Schools.

Standout elementary schools include Memorial Elementary and Sam Houston Elementary, which consistently earn 4-star ratings and outperform state averages in math and science despite high poverty rates. Central Middle is the top-performing middle school, also with a 4-star rating, while other middle schools like Beatriz G Garza Middle, Mary Hoge Middle, and Armando Cuellar Middle struggle significantly, especially in math. At the high school level, Weslaco High School and Weslaco East High School have solid graduation rates (95.9% and 93.8%), but alternative schools like Premier H S Of Weslaco (50.9% graduation) and Career And College Development Center face major challenges.

A key finding is that advanced coursework success is universal: across all middle schools, students in Algebra I and English I End-of-Course exams achieve near-perfect proficiency (92-100%), showing that accelerated programs can overcome school-wide struggles. Science is a systemic weakness, with several elementary schools like Pfc Mario Ybarra Elementary (6.76%) and Airport Elementary (10.26%) scoring far below the state average. There is no clear link between per-student spending and performance, as top performer Memorial Elementary spends $9,717 per student while lower-performing Pfc Mario Ybarra Elementary spends $12,181. The Idea Weslaco Pike College Preparatory (grades 6-12) ranks in the 66th percentile, but its feeder Idea Weslaco Pike Academy struggles at the 23rd percentile, indicating a transition challenge within the charter network.