The top reported proficiency rate is 58% in Math. The lowest is 25% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on La Encantada El
La Encantada Elementary serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in San Benito, a small city in the Rio Grande Valley about ten miles from the U.S.-Mexico border. The school sits in a community with strong Mexican cultural roots, residential neighborhoods, and a compact downtown anchored by civic and cultural facilities along East Heywood Street. San Benito itself is positioned as a regional manufacturing and retail hub, with industrial parks and growing multifamily housing development tied to regional economic drivers including nearby SpaceX operations and new logistics facilities.
La Encantada's enrollment of about five hundred students is predominantly Hispanic, with the overwhelming majority of families qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is diverse in early grade composition, with classes ranging from pre-K through fifth grade spread across the school's enrollment profile.
On state assessments, La Encantada shows mixed results that a parent may want to examine closely. In third-grade math, the school demonstrated proficiency on par with what would be expected at this grade level. Fifth-grade science results were significantly lower, with only about one-quarter of students scoring at proficient or above. English language arts and higher-grade math assessments were administered in Spanish to very small cohorts, making those results not reliably reportable. The school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among districts in Cameron County, a positioning that reflects stronger performance relative to its county neighbors, though this comparison should be understood in context: the county itself faces economically challenging circumstances, and this school's English and math results show meaningful gaps that merit direct conversation with school leadership about instructional priorities and student support.
The school operates within San Benito Consolidated Independent School District. District-level information about recent strategic changes or initiatives was not available through the search, so parents may want to reach out directly to the district office to understand longer-term curriculum or support plans.
Housing in the zip code where La Encantada sits reflects affordability well below state and national medians, with median home values modest and rental costs manageable for working families. This is a residential area serving families for whom proximity and cost matter significantly.
La Encantada is a Title I school serving a high-poverty enrollment. The practical question for a prospective family is whether the school's current instructional approach and available supports align with their child's needs, particularly in math and science. A conversation with the principal or teachers about how the school is addressing lower achievement in those areas, what intervention or enrichment programs exist, and how the school communicates progress with families would give a clearer picture of the educational experience your child would have.
See more original research from School Decision →