Mission Cisd, TX - District Data

Original Research by School Decision on Mission Cisd

Mission CISD serves a predominantly Hispanic community in Hidalgo County, Texas, across a rural and semi-rural area that includes the towns of Mission, Alton, La Homa, and Edinburg. The district operates over two dozen schools from early learning through high school, serving a large enrollment that includes substantial numbers of students in pre-K through early elementary grades.

The district's academic profile shows uneven performance across subjects and grade levels. In English language arts, students in middle grades tend to reach proficiency at stronger rates, with about half of sixth and eighth graders meeting or exceeding standards. In earlier elementary grades and on Spanish-language assessments, proficiency drops markedly, which reflects both the early stages of literacy development and the language of instruction. Math proficiency is considerably weaker, with roughly a quarter to two-fifths of students meeting standards across grades six through eight. Science results at grade eight fall below those in ELA, and social studies proficiency in eighth grade is notably low. The data suggests that students are reaching the "approaches standard" level in meaningful numbers across most subjects, meaning they are demonstrating foundational understanding, but the gap between approaching and meeting proficiency is substantial. A parent may want to look into the district's literacy instruction approach, particularly in the early elementary years and in Spanish-language classrooms, and how the district is addressing math conceptual understanding in the middle grades.

Mission CISD has launched several intentional expansions intended to support student pathways. Beginning in 2024, the "Crib to College" program enrolls children from partner early childcare facilities as official district students, providing free half-day Pre-K 3 and Pre-K 4 instruction to ease the transition into kindergarten. This represents a direct expansion of access to early childhood education in the district. At the high school level, Mission CISD operates Early College High School models in partnership with South Texas College. The Patriot Early College program at Veterans Memorial High School and a Health Science Academy at Mission Collegiate High School allow students to pursue associate degrees while still in high school, with course offerings in engineering, business, criminal justice, and health science. These are real college-credit pathways that can allow students to graduate with credentials and savings on college costs. The district also maintains a Pre-K through 12 agricultural science program, Mission FARMERS, tied to the region's citrus-farming heritage and designed as a hands-on, integrated learning track.

The community context shows a housing market that is affordable compared to state and national benchmarks. Home values and rental rates both sit well below state medians, which supports families' ability to afford stable housing. The median household income regionally stands at a level that places housing as a manageable portion of household budgets, though mortgage and rental ratios suggest tight economics for some families.

One area of concern the data surfaces is chronic absenteeism. Mission CISD reports absenteeism rates that place it in the bottom quartile among Hidalgo County's districts, meaning a notably higher share of students are chronically absent than in most peer districts. Chronic absenteeism correlates strongly with lower academic outcomes, and addressing attendance would be a meaningful lever for improvement. The district's per-pupil spending sits in the lower half of the middle range for the county, which may affect the resources available for interventions, supports, and specialized instruction.

The district serves a student body that is approximately 97 percent Hispanic, with very small shares of other racial and ethnic groups. More than half the student body is in early elementary and middle school grades. Specific data on free or reduced-price lunch eligibility and English learner enrollment are not available, but the demographic composition and regional economic context suggest a high proportion of economically disadvantaged and multilingual learners. Without that data, families cannot assess what share of students qualify for meal assistance or identify as English learners, though both populations are likely substantial.

Overall, Mission CISD is a district with intentional college and career pathways and early education access, serving a largely Hispanic, economically modest community with affordable housing. Academic proficiency, particularly in math and in Spanish-language instruction, remains a meaningful challenge, and chronic absenteeism rates suggest students are not consistently present to benefit from instruction. The district's investments in early childhood through dual-credit pathways reflect a philosophy of continuous educational access, but families evaluating the district should understand that state test performance is below the midpoint for the county, and attendance patterns warrant attention and conversation with school leadership.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

14,068

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 97%

Black 0%

White 2%

Asian 0%

Two+ 0%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

46%

21%

Gr 4

52%

68%

Gr 5

45%

77%

Gr 6

41%

73%

Gr 7

44%

67%

Gr 8

47%

69%

Math

Gr 3

34%

20%

Gr 4

31%

60%

Gr 5

42%

58%

Gr 6

23%

47%

Gr 7

21%

42%

Gr 8

37%

56%

Science

Gr 5

—

Gr 8

32%

56%

Social studies

Gr 8

16%

28%

all_subjects_approaches

Gr ALL

44%

—

all_subjects_masters

Gr ALL

—

all_subjects_meets

Gr ALL

22%

—

ela_approaches

Gr ALL

42%

—

ela_masters

Gr ALL

—

ela_meets

Gr ALL

23%

—

math_approaches

Gr ALL

44%

—

math_masters

Gr ALL

—

math_meets

Gr ALL

23%

—

science_approaches

Gr ALL

48%

—

science_masters

Gr ALL

—

science_meets

Gr ALL

20%

—

social_studies_approaches

Gr ALL

46%

—

social_studies_masters

Gr ALL

—

social_studies_meets

Gr ALL

18%

—

Schools in this District

24 schools are officially reported under this district.

VETERANS MEMORIAL H S

SALINAS EL

ROOSEVELT ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL

HILDA C ESCOBAR/ALICIA C RIOS EL

RAFAEL A CANTU J H

MISSION COLLEGIATE H S

MISSION EARLY LEARNING

Academic Performance

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

Mathematics

6 grades reported

Grade 3

29%

Grade 4

45%

Grade 5

26%

Grade 6

25%

Grade 7

40%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

18%

Grade 3

37%

Grade 4

60%

Grade 5

46%

Grade 6

48%

Grade 7

50%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

Grade 5

36%

Grade 8

Social Studies

1 grade reported

18%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

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

Home Values

Typical home value$205,920

Year-over-year change+0.5%

Range across 4 ZIP codes$195K to $216K

vs. state typical0.68x

vs. national typical0.56x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (4 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
78573	Alton	$216K	+0.7%	49.4%
78572	Mission	$196K	+0.0%	41.7%
78574	La Homa	$195K	+1.6%	7.3%
78541	Edinburg	$212K	+1.6%	1.6%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,231/mo

Year-over-year change+0.1%

Range across 4 ZIP codes$992 to $1,827/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (4 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
78573	Alton	$1,070	-0.5%	49.4%
78572	Mission	$1,325	+0.9%	41.7%
78574	La Homa	$1,827	—	7.3%
78541	Edinburg	$992	+1.7%	1.6%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$1,039/mo

Home price / national median income2.5x

Annual rent / national median income17.6%

Rent exceeds est. mortgage by$191/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.