The top reported proficiency rate is 61% in English language arts. The lowest is 55% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Dishman El
Dishman Elementary is a small public elementary school in Combes serving prekindergarten through fifth grade, located in a mostly residential community just north of Harlingen in northwestern Cameron County. The school sits within Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District.
Combes is a quiet, car-oriented small town with a mixed but modest economic base. The population is overwhelmingly Hispanic and Latino, most residents own their homes, and income levels are low relative to Texas and the nation. The town borders Harlingen and functions as a bedroom community within the Brownsville-Harlingen metro area, with civic and educational life oriented toward neighboring Harlingen rather than a separate downtown. Recent housing has grown steadily, with much of the stock newly built and home prices remaining affordable by state standards.
Dishman's enrollment is small, with about three-quarters of its students concentrated in third through fifth grade. Almost all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is nearly entirely Hispanic. State data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available.
On state testing, Dishman's results show uneven performance by grade and subject. In English language arts across grades three and four, proficiency runs in the mid-range, with third grade showing stronger performance than fourth. In math, the pattern is more concerning: third and fourth graders show proficiency near or just above half, while fifth graders perform noticeably better. The school did not report meaningful results for fifth-grade ELA or science, as only a small number of students in those grades took the Spanish-language version of the assessment. Looking across all tested grades and subjects together, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among Cameron County's districts, a positioning that reflects strength relative to peers in a low-income region, though it is important to note that state testing results do not capture the full picture of a young child's learning.
Dishman participates in the district's Capturing Kids' Hearts social-emotional learning program, launched in 2022 with foundation funding. The program trains staff in relationship-building strategies such as greeting students by name and establishing classroom agreements, creating a classroom culture centered on connection and student voice.
A parent may want to look into the school's specific supports for math in the lower grades, given the proficiency patterns, and may also want to discuss the school's approach to English learner instruction and assessment, given the small sample sizes in Spanish-language testing. The district itself is navigating significant financial challenges, having experienced a deep drop in its fund balance and receiving a C financial rating from the Texas Education Agency in 2025, its first decline from consistent A marks. This context affects staffing stability and resource availability district-wide, and a prospective family may want to understand how the district's recovery efforts are shaping services and continuity at the school level.
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