Academic Performance
Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.
Mathematics3 grades reported
Grade 3
50%
Grade 4
48%
Grade 5
48%
English Language Arts1 grade reported
Grade 3
51%
Science1 grade reported
Grade 5
19%
Located in MCALLEN, TX. Serving grades PK through 05.
Jackson Elementary sits on Harvey Street in McAllen, a Rio Grande Valley border city where healthcare, retail trade, and cross-border commerce anchor the economy. The school serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public elementary within McAllen ISD, drawing from a city that is publicly reported to be growing steadily, with an affordable housing market compared to larger Texas metros, though home values in this zip code sit well below both state and national benchmarks and have edged slightly downward year over year. Rents remain modest relative to income, and the rent-versus-ownership gap here is notably narrower than in most of the country, making the area accessible to a range of families.
The student body is almost entirely Hispanic, reflecting the broader demographics of McAllen, and a very large share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school in a high-need economic context. English learner counts and special education rates were not available in the data provided, so families with children who need those services should ask the school directly about capacity and staffing.
On the Texas STAAR assessment, the picture is mixed. In reading and language arts, third-grade results show roughly half of tested students reaching proficiency, while fourth- and fifth-grade Spanish STAAR results are effectively unreported because only a small handful of students took that version, not enough to produce a meaningful rate. In math, proficiency hovers just below half across third, fourth, and fifth grades. The standout concern is fifth-grade science, where the proficiency rate is quite low, well below what one would hope to see. Families may want to ask the school about science instruction and what additional support is available for students who are not yet meeting grade-level expectations.
Looking at the broader STAAR performance picture that Texas reports, the school shows a reasonable share of students reaching the "approaches" threshold across subjects, meaning most students are demonstrating at least basic grade-level understanding. The "meets" level, which represents solid grade-level work, lands around half districtwide. The "masters" level, reflecting strong independent performance, is considerably lower, particularly in social studies where it is very thin. Against other districts in Hidalgo County, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile of the comparison set, which is a meaningful position in a county that includes a wide range of schools.
Multi-year trend data was not available, so it is not possible to assess whether these numbers are improving, holding, or declining. That is a reasonable question to bring to the school.
McAllen ISD as a whole has a few features worth knowing. Voters approved a substantial bond measure in May 2026 that funds campus modernization, safety upgrades, career and technical education expansions at the high schools, and infrastructure work across the district, with the district stating it does not raise the tax rate. The district has also consecutively reduced its property tax rate, which matters to homeowners in the attendance zone. One distinctive curriculum commitment: McAllen ISD has made Emotional Intelligence instruction a mandatory part of every campus from pre-kindergarten up, so Jackson families should expect that to be part of their child's experience from the earliest grades.
McAllen itself offers a public library that is publicly reported to be the largest single-floor library in the United States, housed in a converted big-box building near the school's side of town, with computer labs, a teen area, and an auditorium. Parks, a multi-mile trail system, and a downtown entertainment district round out the civic environment. The city is car-oriented outside its downtown core, which is typical of the Rio Grande Valley. Graduation rate data is not applicable here since Jackson serves only elementary grades.
Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.
Officially reported figures, 2024-25.
All reported measures, by topic.