A M Ochoa El, Donna TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on A M Ochoa El

A M Ochoa Elementary serves prekindergarten through fifth grade in Donna, a small, affordability-focused South Texas city in Hidalgo County. The school enrolls a substantial population, with a very high concentration of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch and a student body that is entirely Hispanic. Most students in the school are Spanish-dominant or bilingual.

The testing data available for the 2024-25 school year shows mixed proficiency across grades and subjects. In English language arts, the school reports proficiency rates that range from about one-third to roughly half across grades three through five. Math proficiency is similarly uneven: grade three Spanish-language math testing showed no students at proficient levels, grade four showed about half proficient on a Spanish-language assessment, and grade five showed around a third proficient on an English-language assessment. Science testing was administered in grade five, but the results were suppressed due to a very small test group. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school sits below the midpoint of proficiency compared to other districts in Hidalgo County. One data point worth noting: the school reports that a substantial share of all students meet or approach proficiency standards across subjects when those two performance tiers are combined, suggesting that while students are not yet solidly proficient, many are progressing toward grade-level benchmarks.

The school serves a significant population of multilingual learners, with substantial numbers of students taking bilingual or Spanish-language assessments. This reflects the school's setting in a community where Spanish is as commonly spoken as English and where many families have deep roots in Mexican-American culture. A parent considering this school may want to explore the specific bilingual and English-language support offerings with the school directly, particularly how the school structures language instruction and transition across the elementary grades.

Housing in the Donna area is quite affordable relative to Texas and national benchmarks. Homes in the zip code are modestly priced, and rental costs are low, making the community accessible to families with limited housing budgets. The area is car-dependent, oriented around expressway access rather than walkable neighborhoods, though the older historic core near downtown Donna City Square Park does retain some community resources within walking distance of central schools.

The school is a regular public elementary campus within Donna Independent School District, which operates approximately two dozen campuses serving a wide attendance area. No data was available on the school's staffing, specific programs, or attendance and discipline practices.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 30%

School 0% · District 17% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 40 pts below state median · ▼ 37 pts below county median

Grade 450%

School 50% · District 27% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 530%

School 30% · District 38% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 345%

School 45% · District 16% · ▲ 29 pts above district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 436%

School 36% · District 29% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 547%

School 47% · District 28% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

This schoolDONNA ISD, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 4Lower-income49%Higher-income80%31 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income45%Higher-income60%15 pp gap