The top reported proficiency rate is 41% in Math. The lowest is 37% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Perez El
Perez Elementary serves about six hundred students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Brownsville, a growing border city in the southernmost tip of Texas. The school sits in an urban setting where the vast majority of families—nearly all—qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the neighborhood's economic profile.
The student body is almost entirely Hispanic. Demographics and language patterns show that a substantial portion of students are tested in Spanish on the state assessment; the school also administers tests in English. Grade three students took the Spanish-language version of the state math and reading assessments, while most of grades four and five took the English version, indicating either a transition point in the bilingual or language pathway or shifting cohort compositions.
On the most recent state assessments, Perez's results fall below the midpoint among the districts in Cameron County. The school's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in the top quartile of county schools, a position that reflects the particular challenges in the area but also shows the school is performing relatively better than some peers. In math, fourth-grade students showed the strongest performance, while third-grade students taking the Spanish assessment and fifth-grade students both showed lower proficiency. In English language arts, fourth-grade students performed below proficiency for the school overall (data for that grade's Spanish assessment was suppressed due to a very small test count), while fifth-grade reading showed a stronger outcome. Science testing was too small in scale to report. Across all subjects, the school's data shows students approaching proficiency standards more often than meeting or mastering them, a pattern common in schools serving students with substantial economic and often academic-support needs.
Perez operates within Brownsville Independent School District, a district managing significant structural budget pressure. The district faced a substantial deficit, leading to the consolidation of three elementary schools in the Southmost area beginning in 2024; families in affected neighborhoods experienced school closures and student reassignments. Voters rejected a bond package in November 2025 that would have funded facility repairs and a career and technical education center, meaning long-deferred building repairs—aging roofs, HVAC systems, and windows decades old—will continue to be addressed only when emergencies arise. Enrollment has declined due to falling birth rates and economic patterns in the region, a structural headwind the district is managing by drawing down reserves and adjusting staffing. Federal funding cuts in 2025 forced the district to scale back after-school academy programs from fuller schedules to three afternoons a week, affecting families who rely on after-school care. The district did approve modest raises for all employees and improved student-to-teacher ratios for middle school and fifth grade in the 2026-2027 budget, changes that would reduce classroom sizes for upper elementary students.
Brownsville itself is in strong growth, driven by major investments from SpaceX, a fast-growing port, and new manufacturing. The city issued record residential permits in 2025 and is near the eighteenth most populous in Texas, expanding housing stock and attracting workers. Housing values in the area are below state and national benchmarks, making homeownership more affordable than in much of Texas, though rents have risen modestly. The historic downtown has been revitalized with pedestrian plazas and cultural activity, and the city is pursuing mixed-use development and housing master plans to support continued growth.
A parent considering Perez should understand this as a school serving a predominantly low-income, Hispanic community where English learners are a substantial portion of the population and where state testing results reflect students working toward proficiency in both Spanish and English. The school operates within a district facing real budget constraints and deferred maintenance, conditions that will shape the physical environment and program availability families experience. The broader city is growing and investing in downtown revitalization, but the school itself sits in a neighborhood shaped by consolidation and program cuts. Test results suggest students are developing foundational skills, though gaps remain. A parent may want to look into the school's specific language and literacy programs, current classroom sizes (especially at the fifth-grade level following the district's recent ratio improvements), and the condition of school facilities, as these vary considerably across Brownsville ISD's aging campuses.
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