Enrollment
313
Elementary
DISTRICT 423 · STATE 519
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·HARLINGEN CISD·NCES 482253002282
DISHMAN EL
309 MADELEY, COMBES, TX 78535 · (956) 427-3100 · Cameron County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY41-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL313 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
14.9:1
21 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 15.6:1 · STATE 15.1:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
94%
295 students
DISTRICT 80% · STATE 65%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade
Student demographics
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
STAAR 2025-26 . % Meets Grade Level or AboveReading
66.0%
TX avg 54.5% . +60.0pp since 2020
Mathematics
53.0%
TX avg 45.3% . +42.0pp since 2020
What this means: On the STAAR, Texas's statewide test, about 66 of every 100 students at this school read at grade level and about 53 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Texas schools, those numbers are about 55 and 45. Reading scores are up about 60 points since 2020, while math scores are up about 42 points.
Source: STAAR. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
OUTPERFORMING
Top 10% of TX schools after controlling for student poverty
Actual proficiency
50.0%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
33.4%
based on TX schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+16.6pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 50% of students here test proficient in math and reading, well above the roughly 33% typical for Texas schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations ranks schools against others at the same poverty level, not by raw scores, so a school can post high scores and still fall short of its prediction, or post lower scores and still beat it. This school clears its prediction by about 17 points, placing it in Texas's top 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
7-year change
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
313
-25 (-7%) vs 2017
Student : Teacher
14.9:1
was 13.2:1
% White
3%
was 4%
% Hispanic
96%
was 96%
% Black
1%
was 0%
% Asian
0%
was 0%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
About DISHMAN EL
DISHMAN EL is a modestly sized elementary school in COMBES, Texas, one of the schools within HARLINGEN CISD. The school teaches 313 students in grades pre-K through 5. By comparison, Texas's public schools average about 519 students each, so DISHMAN EL sits 40% smaller than that benchmark.
Within HARLINGEN CISD, which oversees 31 schools and 17,506 students, DISHMAN EL is one campus in the system.
Looking at the student body, DISHMAN EL reports that 96% of students identify as Hispanic, making the school strongly Hispanic-majority. Other groups include 3% White.
On the resource side, Staff filings list 21 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 14.9:1 students per teacher. The state averages about 15.1:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. About 94% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. Set against Cameron County (around 84%), the school's rate is somewhat above typical.
With demographic context factored in, DISHMAN EL sits in the top 10% of Texas schools after the BeatsExpectations adjustment. Predicted proficiency for the school's FRL share is roughly 33.4%; actual is 50.0%, +16.6 points clear of the demographic baseline.
Zooming out to the county, community-level numbers for Cameron County indicate median household income runs about $52,601, 22% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 21% of residents live below the federal poverty line. DISHMAN EL is one of 187 public schools in Cameron County (combined enrollment of about 97,392 students).
Nearest neighbor: WILSON EL, around 2.5 miles off. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts DISHMAN EL at 3rd of 8; the average score across the group is 47.2%.
The campus sits in a low-density setting.
Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count edged down 7%: 338 students in 2018 compared to 313 in 2025. The student-to-teacher ratio grew from 13.2:1 in 2018 to 14.9:1 today.
Inside the community feed, members of the DISHMAN EL community share and discuss school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Members of the school community can share what they know.
Cameron County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
426,120
Census ACS
Median income
$52,601
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
22%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
21%
Below federal line
Schools in county
187
97,392 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in HARLINGEN CISD
- HARLINGEN H SHigh · 2,433 students
- HARLINGEN H S - SOUTHHigh · 2,019 students
- DR ABRAHAM P CANO FRESHMAN ACADEMYCombined · 1,035 students
- MOISES VELA MIDDLEMiddle · 761 students
- TREASURE HILLS ELElementary · 758 students
- GUTIERREZ MIDDLEMiddle · 747 students
Nearby schools
- WILSON EL2.5 mi · 373
- GUTIERREZ MIDDLE2.9 mi · 747
- IDEA HARLINGEN ACADEMY3.0 mi · 651
- IDEA HARLINGEN COLLEGE PREPARATORY3.0 mi · 457
- HCISD EARLY CHILDHOOD ACADEMY3.3 mi · 255
- DR ABRAHAM P CANO FRESHMAN ACADEMY3.4 mi · 1,035
Frequently asked questions
About DISHMAN ELWhat is the total enrollment at DISHMAN EL?
DISHMAN EL enrolls approximately 313 students in grades PK-05.
What grades does DISHMAN EL serve?
DISHMAN EL serves grades PK-05.
What is the student-teacher ratio at DISHMAN EL?
The student-to-teacher ratio at DISHMAN EL is approximately 14.9:1 (21 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at DISHMAN EL?
At DISHMAN EL, the student body is approximately 3% White, 96% Hispanic, 1% Black.
What district is DISHMAN EL in?
DISHMAN EL is part of HARLINGEN CISD.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.