The top reported proficiency rate is 43% in English language arts. The lowest is 10% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on San Perlita Middle
San Perlita Middle serves grades six through eight in a very small rural school in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Willacy County, about an hour's drive northeast of Raymondville. The school is part of San Perlita ISD, which operates three campuses—elementary, middle, and high school—all located on a single consolidated campus that serves as the civic heart of this quiet agricultural community of under one thousand residents. The town itself has little commercial activity and exists primarily as a farming settlement surrounded by wind energy operations, making the school district a central institution for community gathering.
The student body is very small, with enrollment of fewer than fifty students across the three grades. The population is overwhelmingly Hispanic and Latino, and a substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting economic conditions in an agricultural region where household incomes are modest. The middle school opened a new elementary facility recently, representing a significant facilities upgrade for the district, though state testing data for the school does not reflect prior years, so trend information is not available.
On state assessments administered in spring 2025, academic performance is below the midpoint among the county's four districts. In English language arts, results are more stable: sixth graders showed moderate proficiency, seventh graders performed somewhat lower, and eighth graders also fell below half proficient. In mathematics, the pattern is more acute. Sixth graders showed very low proficiency, and seventh graders only modestly higher, while the eighth-grade cohort is too small to report. Science and social studies results for eighth grade are similarly low. Across all subjects at the school, only a very small fraction of students demonstrated mastery-level performance, and the majority performed at or below the "approaches" level, meaning they met less than half the standard. In English language arts alone, the school's overall proficiency rate was about the school's average position relative to the county.
A parent may want to look into further with the school what academic supports exist for students struggling with mathematics, where proficiency is particularly weak, and what interventions or tutoring programs the school offers. Because the school is so small, families should ask how the school manages course offerings and whether students have access to electives, advanced coursework, or other pathway options. The school website was not available in the data provided, so direct conversation with administrators about programs, instructional approach, and the school's plans for improvement would be essential.
The broader context is a community anchored by agriculture and wind energy tax revenue, with limited commercial infrastructure. Most families own their homes, and the area is entirely car-dependent, with daily errands requiring travel to larger towns. The school district recently took on significant new debt to fund the elementary facility expansion, a major public investment with long-term property tax implications for residents. For a family considering this school, the combination of very small size, low academic performance, and remote rural setting should be weighed carefully against the school's role as a stable, close-knit community institution.
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