The top reported proficiency rate is 38% in English language arts. The lowest is 36% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Jefferson El
Jefferson El is a pre-kindergarten through fifth-grade public elementary school in Harlingen, Texas, operating within Harlingen CISD in Cameron County. The school sits in a Rio Grande Valley city whose economy is anchored by healthcare, education, telecommunications, and a growing aerospace presence, with major employers including large hospital systems, Texas State Technical College, and operations tied to aerospace manufacturing. Home values in the area sit well below both the Texas and national medians, and rents have edged up modestly year over year, making the surrounding housing market relatively accessible by statewide standards.
The student body is nearly entirely Hispanic and almost uniformly economically disadvantaged, with essentially all students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on English learner classification rates and special education rates were not available in what was reported. The school is small relative to what you might expect for its grade span, with a notable share of that enrollment concentrated in pre-kindergarten. The school is a regular public school with no charter or magnet designation, and Title I status was not reported.
On the most recent STAAR assessments, Jefferson El's results are below the midpoint among districts in Cameron County on the overall proficiency index, and the grade-level results give a parent reason to look into this further. In math, fewer than half of tested students in third grade reached proficiency, and the rate drops further moving into fourth and fifth grade. Reading results in third and fourth grade are similar, in the upper-to-mid thirties range for proficiency. Fifth-grade reading was assessed under the Spanish-language STAAR for a single student, so no campus-level result was reportable there, and the same situation applies to fifth-grade science. The Texas STAAR distinguishes between students who "approach," "meet," and "master" grade level. Across all subjects combined, roughly half of students approached grade level, about a third met it, and only a small fraction reached masters level. Social studies results were particularly low, with effectively no students reaching the meets or masters thresholds. A parent would be well-served asking the school directly about instructional supports, intervention programs, and how student progress is monitored across grade levels.
Multi-year trend data was not available; only a single year of results exists in the data provided, so there is no trajectory to characterize.
On the district context, Harlingen CISD has been working through a pronounced financial recovery period. Publicly reported coverage from local outlets describes a significant drawdown of cash reserves under the prior administration, a drop in the state's financial integrity rating to a lower tier for the first time in many years, staffing reductions as part of a cost-cutting effort, and a projected multi-year timeline to rebuild fiscal health. Families considering Jefferson El should be aware that these district-level pressures on staffing and services are an active, ongoing situation rather than a resolved one.
On a more constructive note, the district publicly launched a social-emotional learning initiative called Capturing Kids' Hearts, beginning in the 2022-2023 school year with grant funding, and multiple elementary campuses have since been recognized as national showcase schools under that program. Jefferson El's own status in that recognition was not specified in the data, but the program is designed to shape daily classroom culture through relationship-building practices, which is part of what families at any of the district's elementary schools would encounter.
Program offerings specific to Jefferson El were not available. Chronic absenteeism data and graduation rates do not apply here, as this school ends at fifth grade. What the data does give a parent is a picture of a small, economically concentrated neighborhood elementary school with academic results that trail the county midpoint, situated inside a district managing a significant financial transition.
See more original research from School Decision →