The top reported proficiency rate is 61% in Science. The lowest is 40% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Burns El
Burns Elementary serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Brownsville. The school enrolls a small- to mid-sized cohort, with representation skewed heavily toward Hispanic students and a very high share of families qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, well above the district and state average. Spanish-language instruction is in use at the school, as evidenced by the assessment data; the school offers both Spanish and English versions of state tests.
The most recent state test results are from 2025 and show a mixed academic picture. In fifth-grade mathematics, where the clearest data exists, students performed at a relatively strong level, with a solid majority meeting or exceeding the standard. Fifth-grade science results were also middling but respectable. In English language arts, performance drops notably at the fourth-grade level, where less than half of students met or exceeded the proficiency standard. Grade 3 test results are limited because very few students were assessed in those grades in English or Spanish versions, so those numbers are not yet reliable for comparison. Across all tested subjects and grade levels combined, the school's overall proficiency index ranks in the top quartile among districts in Cameron County, meaning Burns sits above the midpoint of its county peers on this measure.
The school's context is important to understand. Brownsville is a border city in rapid growth, anchored by employment in manufacturing, logistics, education, and aerospace. Housing values are moderate for the region, and rents are broadly stable. The school sits in a neighborhood where the vast majority of families work and speak Spanish as a home language, and economic barriers are acute. Against this backdrop, Burns operates within Brownsville ISD, which is managing structural budget constraints. The district faced a significant bond rejection in late 2025, meaning deferred maintenance at schools, including potential issues with roofs, HVAC systems, and windows, will continue to be handled on an emergency-only basis rather than systematically replaced. The district also consolidated three pairs of elementary schools in the Southmost area in 2024, closed three campuses, and is managing enrollment decline. For 2026-2027, the district improved the student-teacher ratio in fifth grade from 26-to-1 to 22-to-1, which will directly affect class size at Burns. Additionally, federal funding cuts in 2025 reduced after-school academy programs at participating elementary schools to three days per week, a change that affects working families relying on extended care.
A parent considering Burns should ask the school directly about current enrollment, class sizes by grade, and the specific composition of bilingual or dual-language instruction, since the assessment data suggests a mixed approach to language of instruction. The school's location and the demographics of its neighborhood are stable and well-rooted, but the district's broader budget environment means facility conditions and program availability are tightening. Burns ranks favorably on proficiency among its county peers, but the results are granular—strong in math, weaker in English language arts—so understanding the school's approach to reading and literacy instruction is worth pursuing with the school.
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