Point Isabel Isd, TX - District Data

Original Research by School Decision on Point Isabel Isd

Point Isabel ISD is a small district in Cameron County serving the greater Port Isabel area, with a student body that is predominantly Hispanic and bilingual. The district covers pre-K through high school across several schools, including two elementary buildings, a junior high, and a high school that operates under an early college model.

Academically, the district's state assessment results show mixed performance across subjects and grade levels. In English language arts, proficiency rates vary significantly by grade. Third-grade students show low proficiency, while upper elementary and middle grades (fifth through eighth) demonstrate moderate attainment, with sixth-grade ELA performing strongest. Math proficiency is consistently weaker across the board, particularly in sixth and seventh grades where proficiency drops substantially. Science proficiency in grades five and eight sits at around one-third of students meeting grade-level standards. Social studies attainment in eighth grade is quite low. Across all subjects and grades combined, the district sits above the median for proficiency when compared to other districts in Cameron County, though this should be read as a relative position within the county rather than as strong absolute performance.

The assessment data shows that a substantial share of students reach the "approaches" level of mastery across subjects, suggesting they are progressing toward but not yet consistently meeting grade-level standards. The small numbers tested in early grades (particularly grades four and five on the Spanish-language STAAR assessment) mean those results are less stable and should be interpreted with caution; a parent may want to look into this further with the district.

The district has made deliberate curriculum investments. It launched a Dual Language program in pre-K, kindergarten, and first grade beginning in the 2023-24 school year, running alongside its existing bilingual instruction. This dual-language pathway promotes bilingualism and biliteracy and reflects the community's linguistic composition. Port Isabel High School operates as a P-TECH early college campus, where students can earn both a high school diploma and an associate degree while gaining work-based experience in high-demand fields. This dual-credit pathway is a meaningful option for students seeking a direct route to workforce entry or continued university study.

Bond-funded facility improvements are reshaping the district's physical plant. Construction includes renovation of the Port Isabel Early College High School auditorium and a new Career and Technical Education building intended to equip students with practical job skills during high school. These investments signal institutional commitment to expanding pathway options.

Attendance stands out as a strength: the district's chronic absenteeism rate places it in the top quartile among Cameron County districts, indicating stronger student engagement in daily attendance than most neighboring systems.

Per-pupil spending is in the upper range for the county, and the district maintains one of the lowest property tax rates in both Cameron County and the broader Region One Education Service Center area. Voters approved a bond package in 2022 that included a tax rate increase to service the new debt; while this is a permanent cost families would weigh, the district notes its underlying tax burden remains among the lowest locally.

Graduation rate data was not available in the materials provided. State assessment participation rates were also not reported, so a reader cannot determine what share of students took each assessment. These gaps should not necessarily be read as weak performance; they may reflect the state's data reporting practices or the school's reporting status. A parent would benefit from asking the district directly about graduation outcomes and recent assessment trends.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

1,857

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 91%

Black 0%

White 7%

Asian 0%

Two+ 1%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

35%

—

Gr 4

46%

86%

Gr 5

—

55%

Gr 6

53%

70%

Gr 7

41%

50%

Gr 8

43%

75%

Math

Gr 3

43%

69%

Gr 4

—

67%

Gr 5

—

73%

Gr 6

15%

40%

Gr 7

10%

Gr 8

14%

43%

Science

Gr 5

32%

64%

Gr 8

30%

56%

Social studies

Gr 8

19%

48%

all_subjects_approaches

Gr ALL

51%

—

all_subjects_masters

Gr ALL

—

all_subjects_meets

Gr ALL

22%

—

ela_approaches

Gr ALL

48%

—

ela_masters

Gr ALL

—

ela_meets

Gr ALL

21%

—

math_approaches

Gr ALL

46%

—

math_masters

Gr ALL

—

math_meets

Gr ALL

18%

—

science_approaches

Gr ALL

60%

—

science_masters

Gr ALL

17%

—

science_meets

Gr ALL

31%

—

social_studies_approaches

Gr ALL

66%

—

social_studies_masters

Gr ALL

—

social_studies_meets

Gr ALL

29%

—

Schools in this District

5 schools are officially reported under this district.

DERRY EL

GARRIGA EL

PORT ISABEL EARLY COLLEGE H S

PORT ISABEL J H

CAMERON CO J J A E P

Academic Performance

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

Mathematics

4 grades reported

67%

Grade 3

19%

Grade 6

Grade 7

19%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

5 grades reported

38%

Grade 3

50%

Grade 5

56%

Grade 6

43%

Grade 7

49%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

34%

Grade 5

35%

Grade 8

Social Studies

1 grade reported

24%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

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

Home Values

Typical home value$236,129

Year-over-year change+2.4%

Range across 5 ZIP codes$175K to $448K

vs. state typical0.78x

vs. national typical0.64x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (5 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
78578	Port Isabel	$262K	+1.8%	45.2%
78521	Brownsville	$175K	+3.1%	45.1%
78597		$448K	+2.8%	7.7%
78566	Los Fresnos	$220K	+0.3%	1.6%
78526	Brownsville	$234K	+2.6%	0.4%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$2,018/mo

Year-over-year change+5.7%

Range across 4 ZIP codes$1,388 to $4,212/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (4 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
78578	Port Isabel	$2,275	—	45.2%
78521	Brownsville	$1,388	+5.7%	45.1%
78597		$4,212	—	7.7%
78526	Brownsville	$1,983	+4.5%	0.4%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$1,192/mo

Home price / national median income2.8x

Annual rent / national median income28.9%

Rent exceeds est. mortgage by$827/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.