Alvarez El, Mcallen TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Alvarez El

Alvarez Elementary is a Pre-K through Grade 5 school in McAllen serving a student body of about 450, with the largest share in Pre-K. The enrollment is predominantly Hispanic and Latino, with nearly all students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic demographics of the area.

The school operates within McAllen ISD, a district that has made two consecutive cuts to its property tax rate, a direct benefit to families' school tax bills. The district also passed a substantial bond in May 2026 that funds campus modernization, career and technical education expansion at the high schools, safety upgrades, and infrastructure work across the system. Beyond funding, McAllen ISD has made Emotional Intelligence instruction a districtwide requirement from Pre-K forward, a distinctive pedagogical commitment families would encounter at every grade.

On academics, Alvarez Elementary's most recent state test results show mixed performance. In mathematics, Grade 5 students performed meaningfully better than Grade 4 students, with about half of Grade 5 students reaching proficiency or above, while less than one-third of Grade 4 students did. In English language arts, Grade 3 proficiency was just under one-half of students, while Grade 4 proficiency on Spanish-language assessment was lower. Science results at Grade 5 were a soft spot, with only a modest share of students proficient or above. Across all tested subjects and grades, Alvarez Elementary's overall proficiency index placed it below the midpoint among the school districts in Hidalgo County.

The school's testing data reflects a pattern: proficiency rates are moderate to modest, with meaningful variation by grade and subject. A parent may want to look further into what interventions or supports the school is using in lower-performing areas, especially in science and earlier math grades, and how the school approaches the needs of students who are not yet proficient.

Housing in the McAllen area where Alvarez sits is comparatively affordable relative to much of Texas. The median home value is well below the state benchmark, and monthly rent is modest. The local economy is anchored by healthcare, retail trade, education, and cross-border commerce, with steady population growth and significant new mixed-use development underway, including major projects like The District at North 10th Street and the Boeye Reservoir recreation district planned near the Convention Center.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 432%

School 32% · District 53% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 556%

School 56% · District 21% · ▲ 35 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 343%

School 43% · District 60% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 433%

School 33% · District 36% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Science

Grade 515%

School 15% · District 23% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

This schoolMCALLEN ISD, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.