The top reported proficiency rate is 21% in English language arts. The lowest is 0% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Benavides El
Benavides EL is a small elementary school in Benavides, a declining South Texas ranch town in Duval County where civic anchors, a library, and a Catholic church sit in the compact downtown near the railroad tracks. The school serves prekindergarten through fifth grade in a single combined campus, as part of a recent consolidation that moved elementary students to the secondary site.
The enrollment is small—roughly in the range typical for rural elementary schools in this setting. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is predominantly Hispanic. No data was available on the school's English learner population or students with disabilities.
Academic performance on Texas state assessments is very low. In mathematics, only a small fraction of third-graders meet or exceed proficiency standards; fourth and fifth graders show zero proficiency in mathematics. In English language arts, results are slightly higher, with one-quarter of fourth graders and a small share of third graders meeting standards, but performance in fifth-grade ELA and in fifth-grade science falls well below proficiency benchmarks across the school. Broadly, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in Duval County.
The consolidation of the two separate elementary and secondary campuses into one facility is a structural change implemented in the school year following a bond referendum. The district has entered the Rural Schools Innovation Zone, a five-district partnership in South Texas that opens pathways to career and technical education, college credits, and industry certifications for high school students; this partnership is reported to have improved College, Career and Military Readiness outcomes above state averages at participating districts. For families with elementary students now, that expansion sits further ahead, but the infrastructure and curricular direction may be relevant to longer-term pathway planning.
The town itself reflects decades of population decline from its mid-twentieth-century oil-era peak. Housing values are low. No recent major residential development was documented. The local economy rests on ranching, oilfield heritage, and government employment; the school district is itself a notable local employer.
A parent may want to look into the school's approach to mathematics instruction and support in depth with the school, given the low proficiency levels. The recent campus consolidation and the district's new career and technical education partnership are worth asking about in terms of how they shape day-to-day instruction and student experience at the elementary level.
See more original research from School Decision →