The top reported proficiency rate is 35% in English language arts. The lowest is 0% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Lasara El
Lasara Elementary is a small PreK-8 school serving about a quarter-thousand students in a rural South Texas town. The school sits within Lasara ISD, a district that has been working to build structured college and career advising across its grades, supported by a state grant framework rolled out over recent years. That infrastructure is present here, though the school itself faces real academic headwinds.
State test results from the most recent year show proficiency concentrated in the upper grades and in English Language Arts, but math proficiency is thin across most grade levels. In third grade, about one student in five met or exceeded state math standards; by fourth and fifth grade, fewer than one in ten did. Math improved modestly in sixth grade and held steady in seventh, but the data signal a struggle in that subject. In ELA, the pattern is gentler. Third-graders sit near one in four proficient, and by seventh and eighth grade, nearly half to just under half of students meet or exceed standards. Reading comprehension, broadly, is stronger than numerical reasoning here.
Science shows a stark picture: fifth graders had zero students meet or exceed proficiency in the most recent year, though overall they performed at an "approaches standard" rate common in the tested cohort. Eighth grade science testing was too small to report. Social studies, tested only in eighth grade with a very small group, likewise did not report proficiency numbers.
The school's student body is nearly entirely Hispanic, drawn from families with substantial economic need. Almost nine in ten students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The enrollment is stable and small by design for a K-8 campus, with about three dozen students per typical grade. The youngest grades (PreK through second) account for a significant share and are not state-tested, so proficiency data cover grades three through eight only.
The district has invested in an Effective Advising Framework for college and career readiness, which touches this school's upper grades and is meant to track student completion of industry-based certifications and TSIA college readiness. That structure exists, though its impact on younger elementary grades is indirect. The district has also faced real budget strain even after a recent state funding increase; the superintendent publicly noted difficulty staffing and funding basic repairs, a dynamic that affects schools like this one in a small, rural setting.
Compared to other districts in Willacy County, Lasara Elementary's overall proficiency index sits below the midpoint, reflecting the weak math and science results. A parent considering this school should look closely at how the school is addressing math instruction and what support structures exist for students who enter already behind. The ELA performance suggests the school has some strength in reading, and the upper grades show more consistent proficiency in that domain, which may reflect teaching focus or student maturation. Early grades are not assessed, so home support and PreK-2 instruction quality are not measured here. This is a very small community school serving a very economically stretched population, and test scores show it is still finding its footing, especially in quantitative subjects.
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