The top reported proficiency rate is 35% in English language arts. The lowest is 9% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Perez El
Perez Elementary serves children from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Kingsville, a small city in south Texas southwest of Corpus Christi. The school enrolls a small student population drawn almost entirely from the immediate area, with a majority Hispanic enrollment and a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body reflects the community's makeup: largely Hispanic, with smaller numbers of White, Asian, and other students.
On state assessments, Perez's proficiency results fall below the midpoint when compared to other districts in Kleberg County. In English language arts, performance is stronger in upper grades, with fifth grade showing better outcomes than third and fourth grades. Mathematics proficiency is consistently low across all tested grades. In science, fifth-grade performance is particularly weak. When looking across Texas assessments overall, a modest share of students reach the "meets" standard, and only a small share reach "masters." The pattern suggests the school is working with students who enter significantly below grade level, and the elementary years show slow growth rather than rapid catch-up. A parent considering this school should look into what reading and math interventions are available in the primary grades, where early gaps tend to compound over time.
The school operates within Kingsville Independent School District, which has recently navigated significant operational changes. The district moved to a four-day week in 2023 but reversed that decision and returned to a traditional five-day calendar for 2025-26 after concern about academic performance. That shift signals instability in the district's direction, and a family should factor in whether the school's approach to instruction and calendar will remain consistent. More pressing is the district's financial condition: in November 2025, voters rejected a tax ratification election that would have addressed a substantial budget shortfall. The district now faces budget cuts, which typically affect smaller schools like Perez through reduced programs, fewer support staff, and limited enrichment offerings. This is a concrete pressure a parent should weigh.
Kingsville itself is a mixed-use small city with Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Naval Air Station Kingsville, and the vast King Ranch shaping the local economy and character. The city has a walkable historic downtown anchored by the courthouse and vintage depot, surrounded by single-family residential neighborhoods and highway commercial development. Housing values are modest and housing costs are manageable relative to income, making the area accessible for families on ordinary budgets. The population has been roughly flat or slightly declining, and the median home was built decades ago, so the housing stock is older and established rather than rapidly growing. A major economic development initiative, the South Texas Direct Air Capture Hub, is underway and could bring future change, but that remains on the horizon.
For families in Kingsville with young children, Perez offers a neighborhood elementary school with solid attendance from the immediate community. The school's lower test results and the district's recent budget uncertainty are real considerations, and a parent may want to ask the school directly what reading support is available in early grades and what programs are expected to survive the current budget pressures. Perez is not a school positioned as a magnet or specialized program; it is a traditional public elementary drawing its students from the immediate residential area.
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