The top reported proficiency rate is 54% in English language arts. The lowest is 35% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Milton El
Milton Elementary sits on Ash Street in Laredo, a predominantly Hispanic border city whose economy runs on international trade through the Port of Laredo, the busiest inland port on the U.S.-Mexico border. The school serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as part of Laredo ISD and draws a student body that is nearly entirely Hispanic, which reflects the demographic character of Laredo broadly. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, so the school's community context is one of concentrated economic need.
The enrollment is sizable for an elementary school, spread across pre-K through fifth grade with fairly steady numbers at each level. No data was available on the share of students receiving special education services or classified as English learners, so parents with children in those populations should ask the school directly about how those students are served.
On state STAAR testing, Milton El's results are a mixed picture. The school sits in the top quartile on overall proficiency relative to districts in Webb County, which is a meaningful position in that local comparison set. Looking at the subjects where full results were reported, fifth-grade ELA is a clear strength, with more than two-thirds of tested students reaching the meets-grade-level threshold and a strong showing at the approaches level as well. Fifth-grade math lands at roughly half of students meeting grade level, a more middling result. Fifth-grade science is the softer spot, with only about a third reaching proficiency, and a parent may want to ask the school how it supports students who are working toward that standard. Third-grade ELA and third-grade math results were either suppressed or unavailable for some grades due to small tested groups, particularly in Spanish-administration cohorts at grades three and four, so the picture there is incomplete.
Across all tested subjects, the broad approaches-grade-level rate is strong, meaning most students are reaching the minimum performance threshold. But the masters-grade-level rate, Texas's highest performance tier, is considerably lower across every subject, including in ELA and social studies where approaches rates were highest. That gap between broad participation in grade-level work and deep mastery is worth a conversation with teachers for families whose children are performing at or above grade level and looking for extension.
Multi-year trend data was not available; this is the first year of results in the dataset, so there is no trajectory to describe.
Milton El belongs to Laredo ISD, a district publicly reported to be in a sustained enrollment decline that is compressing its budget. Forecasts suggest that trend continues, with implications for program stability over time. Families weighing a long-term commitment to the district should factor that context in. At the same time, the district's secondary pathway structure is genuinely expansive: seven specialty and early-college high schools offer dozens of programs of study, and students can pursue career tracks, associate degrees, or early-college credit before finishing high school. That range of options down the pipeline is a real asset for families thinking past elementary school.
The housing market around Laredo is notably more affordable than Texas and national averages, with home values well below the state benchmark and rents that represent a modest share of typical household income. Laredo continues to grow outward to the north and east, with master-planned communities entering development, and the city has expanded steadily for decades. Most of that growth is automobile-dependent; outside of downtown Laredo's denser blocks, daily life requires a car. The school's Ash Street address is in a residential part of the city served by that pattern.
No information on specific program offerings, staffing levels, attendance rates, or discipline data at Milton El was available in the data provided.
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