Donna Isd, TX - District Data

Original Research by School Decision on Donna Isd

Donna ISD serves the lower Rio Grande Valley in Hidalgo County, spanning several small communities including Donna, Alamo, Weslaco, and Edinburg. The district enrolls a large student body across pre-K through grade 12, with particularly substantial cohorts in early elementary and early high school.

The enrollment is predominantly Hispanic, reflecting the region's demography. The district does not report free-or-reduced-price-lunch rates or counts of English learners or special education students in available data, which means a parent cannot assess these baseline needs from the materials provided.

On state assessments, Donna ISD's performance reflects significant academic challenges. In the lower elementary grades, proficiency is quite low, with third and fourth grade students taking Spanish-language STAAR assessments showing single-digit and low double-digit proficiency rates. Performance improves as students advance. By eighth grade, proficiency in English language arts and math reaches roughly half of students meeting grade-level standards. Science proficiency in eighth grade is also around that level. Social studies proficiency lags, with about one-third of eighth graders meeting the standard. Science in the lower grades shows particularly weak results where tested.

Across all tested subjects and grades, the district's overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint among Hidalgo County's districts. This reflects a pattern of academic attainment that differs substantially from higher-performing districts in the county.

A notable concern is chronic absenteeism. The district reports absenteeism in the bottom quartile among county districts, meaning a very large share of students miss school at elevated rates. High absenteeism often correlates with academic performance and is worth exploring directly with the school about its causes and interventions.

Per-pupil spending in Donna ISD falls in the upper range for county districts, indicating the district allocates substantial resources per student. The comparison suggests resources are available, though the academic outcomes suggest significant challenges in how they translate to student learning or what systemic barriers may persist.

Housing in the communities served by the district is affordable relative to state and national benchmarks. Property values in Donna and the surrounding area are modest, and rental costs are low. The region's economic context shows moderate unemployment and rental affordability appears reasonable relative to local incomes.

A parent considering Donna ISD should understand that the district serves a large, predominantly Hispanic enrollment in a rural region with affordable housing. Academic proficiency, particularly in early elementary, is substantially below typical benchmarks. The high chronic absenteeism rate warrants direct conversation with schools about attendance support and underlying causes. The district does maintain multiple elementary schools and middle schools across its service area, so some choice of school may exist depending on residence. High school students have access to two comprehensive high schools in the district. A parent may want to look into the district's strategic priorities and recent initiatives to address proficiency gaps, as well as specific attendance support programs.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

13,131

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 100%

Black 0%

White 0%

Asian 0%

Two+ 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

42%

14%

Gr 4

44%

61%

Gr 5

45%

55%

Gr 6

34%

55%

Gr 7

37%

45%

Gr 8

50%

65%

Math

Gr 3

31%

Gr 4

47%

60%

Gr 5

39%

43%

Gr 6

23%

43%

Gr 7

31%

44%

Gr 8

49%

54%

Science

Gr 5

18%

38%

Gr 8

46%

59%

Social studies

Gr 8

32%

47%

all_subjects_approaches

Gr ALL

44%

—

all_subjects_masters

Gr ALL

—

all_subjects_meets

Gr ALL

22%

—

ela_approaches

Gr ALL

34%

—

ela_masters

Gr ALL

—

ela_meets

Gr ALL

18%

—

math_approaches

Gr ALL

51%

—

math_masters

Gr ALL

—

math_meets

Gr ALL

25%

—

science_approaches

Gr ALL

61%

—

science_masters

Gr ALL

11%

—

science_meets

Gr ALL

29%

—

social_studies_approaches

Gr ALL

49%

—

social_studies_masters

Gr ALL

—

social_studies_meets

Gr ALL

21%

—

Schools in this District

22 schools are officially reported under this district.

A M OCHOA EL

DONNA H S

RUNN VIRTUAL LEARNING ACADEMY

C STAINKE EL

J W CACERES DISCOVERY INT ACADEMY

MARIA ALICIA P MUNOZ EL

VETERANS MIDDLE

LE NOIR EL

DANIEL SINGLETERRY SR

DONNA ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAM

DORA M SAUCEDA MIDDLE

ELOY GARZA SALAZAR EL

M RIVAS PRI DISCOVERY ACADEMY

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

17%

Grade 3

27%

Grade 4

38%

Grade 5

25%

Grade 6

32%

Grade 7

49%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

16%

Grade 3

29%

Grade 4

28%

Grade 5

36%

Grade 6

38%

Grade 7

51%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

Grade 5

47%

Grade 8

Social Studies

1 grade reported

34%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$160,599

Year-over-year change+4.7%

Range across 4 ZIP codes$153K to $205K

vs. state typical0.53x

vs. national typical0.44x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (4 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
78537	Donna	$153K	+6.0%	63.4%
78516	Alamo	$170K	+3.7%	20.0%
78596	Weslaco	$167K	-0.2%	11.6%
78542	Edinburg	$205K	+3.2%	5.0%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$973/mo

Year-over-year change+2.8%

Range across 4 ZIP codes$849 to $1,263/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (4 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
78537	Donna	$849	—	63.4%
78516	Alamo	$1,263	—	20.0%
78596	Weslaco	$1,063	+1.4%	11.6%
78542	Edinburg	$1,178	+6.0%	5.0%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$810/mo

Home price / national median income1.9x

Annual rent / national median income13.9%

Rent exceeds est. mortgage by$162/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$302,187 (-2.0% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.