1
What advice would you give to incoming students at DORA M SAUCEDA MIDDLE?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
553
Middle
DISTRICT 684 · STATE 643
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·DONNA ISD·NCES 481739010816
Dora M Sauceda Middle School
520 N VLY VIEW RD, DONNA, TX 78537 · (956) 464-1360 · Hidalgo County
GRADES 06–08MIDDLE21-SUBURBTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL553 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
11.2:1
49 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 12.7:1 · STATE 14.4:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
98%
542 students
DISTRICT 92% · STATE 65%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other middle schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 174 | 31% |
| Grade 7 | 183 | 33% |
| Grade 8 | 196 | 35% |
Student demographics
1%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 1% · STATE 63% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). 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
36.0%
TX avg 54.5% . +19.0pp since 2020
Mathematics
39.0%
TX avg 45.3% . +29.0pp since 2020
What this means: On the STAAR, Texas's statewide test, about 36 of every 100 students at this school read at grade level and about 39 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Texas schools, those numbers are about 55 and 45. Reading scores are up about 19 points since 2020, while math scores are up about 29 points.
Performance levels, 2025-26
| Subject | Masters Grade Level | Meets Grade Level | Approaches Grade Level | Did Not Meet Grade Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 13.0% | 23.0% | 28.0% | 36.0% |
| Mathematics | 9.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 36.0% |
Share of tested students at each STAAR level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.
STAAR results by year
| School year | Reading | Mathematics |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 36.0% | 39.0% |
| 2024-25 | 37.0% | 38.0% |
| 2023-24 | 39.0% | 41.0% |
| 2022-23 | 31.0% | 33.0% |
| 2021-22 | 25.0% | 27.0% |
| 2020-21 | 17.0% | 10.0% |
% Meets Grade Level or Above, all students and all tested grades.
Source: STAAR. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
39.2%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
31.8%
based on TX schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+7.4pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 39% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 32% typical for Texas schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Texas's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Dora M Sauceda Middle School
Dora M Sauceda Middle School's state test result (39.2% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dora M Sauceda Middle School this school | 553 | 98.0% | 39.2% |
| Jaime Escalante Middle School PHARR | 554 | 98.2% | 42.4% |
| Domingo Trevino Middle School ALTON | 531 | 97.4% | 43.0% |
| Dr Javier Saenz Middle School PENITAS | 601 | 98.5% | 35.4% |
| Kennedy Middle School PHARR | 519 | 96.7% | 44.9% |
| Lucio Middle School BROWNSVILLE | 627 | 99.7% | 44.8% |
Matched among Texas middle schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Dora M Sauceda Middle School ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In Texas | In Hidalgo County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 39.2% | #976 of 1,635 | #39 of 54 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 39.0% | #960 of 1,670 ▼ 10 | #34 of 54 ▼ 3 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 36.0% | #1,553 of 1,670 ▼ 85 | #53 of 54 ▼ 2 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +5.5pp | #1,062 of 1,570 | #44 of 54 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 553 | #1,009 of 1,749 | #41 of 54 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 11.2:1 | #88 of 1,542 | #4 of 52 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 0.7% | #1,518 of 1,543 | #41 of 52 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 98.0% | #38 of 1,648 | #5 of 54 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -37.3% | #68 of 942 | #2 of 44 |
Ranked against other public middle schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
553
-166 (-23%) vs 2020
-44% since 2010-11, when it was 994
Student : Teacher
11.2:1
was 12.4:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 553 | 49.2 | 11.2:1 | 98% (542) |
| 2023-24 | 604 | 47.6 | 12.7:1 | 99% (598) |
| 2022-23 | 660 | 51.8 | 12.7:1 | 100% (659) |
| 2020-21 | 719 | 58 | 12.4:1 | 97% (699) |
| 2017-18 | 882 | 80.3 | 11.0:1 | 97% (859) |
| 2015-16 | 804 | 77 | 10.4:1 | 95% (765) |
| 2010-11 | 994 | 84 | 11.8:1 | 5% (48) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Dora M Sauceda Middle School.
Since 2017-18: students down 37% (882 to 553); teachers down 39% (80.3 to 49.2).
About Dora M Sauceda Middle School
Dora M Sauceda Middle School is a middle-grades school in DONNA, Texas, and it is part of DONNA ISD. Enrollment totals 553 students across grades 6 through 8.
DONNA ISD has 20 schools and 12,937 students, and Dora M Sauceda Middle School is one of those schools.
A large majority of enrollment at Dora M Sauceda Middle School is Hispanic, at 100%. On the diversity index, which measures the chance that two random students are from different groups, Dora M Sauceda Middle School scores 1%.
Its staff includes 49.2 full-time-equivalent teachers, for about 11.2 students per teacher. The average for middle schools in Texas, 14.4:1, is higher. Dora M Sauceda Middle School has a free or reduced-price lunch rate of 98%. Compared with the 85% average for public schools in Hidalgo County, the school's rate is higher.
The model predicts 31.8% for a school in Texas with Dora M Sauceda Middle School's free or reduced-price lunch share. Dora M Sauceda Middle School posts 39.2%.
The school's county is Hidalgo County. According to Census Bureau estimates, the median household earns about $54,338 a year, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 21% of adults, and the poverty rate is about 23%. Dora M Sauceda Middle School shares Hidalgo County with 363 other public schools.
J W Caceres Discovery Int Academy is about 1.0 miles from Dora M Sauceda Middle School, the shortest distance to any other public school. The five-mile area around Dora M Sauceda Middle School holds at least 8 other public schools. Among 8 nearby schools that report test results, Dora M Sauceda Middle School ranks 4th on proficiency.
NCES assigns Dora M Sauceda Middle School the locale Suburb: Large, meaning in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population of 250,000 or more.
In 2024-25, the school enrolled 553, down from 719 in 2020-21. The school's ratio dropped from 12.4:1 to 11.2:1 between 2020-21 and 2024-25.
This page is set up for the Dora M Sauceda Middle School community to discuss fundraisers, report cards, and school supplies. Current and former families are welcome to add their experience.
Hidalgo County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
891,977
Census ACS
Median income
$54,338
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
21%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
23%
Below federal line
Schools in county
364
212,859 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in DONNA ISD
- Donna High SchoolHigh · 1,992 students
- Donna North High SchoolHigh · 1,974 students
- Veterans Middle SchoolMiddle · 866 students
- Maria Alicia P Munoz Elementary SchoolElementary · 688 students
- W A Todd Middle SchoolMiddle · 670 students
- A P Solis Middle SchoolMiddle · 646 students
Other schools in DONNA
- Donna High SchoolHigh · 1,992 students
- Donna North High SchoolHigh · 1,974 students
- Veterans Middle SchoolMiddle · 866 students
- IDEA College PrepHigh · 823 students
- IDEA AcademyElementary · 744 students
- Maria Alicia P Munoz Elementary SchoolElementary · 688 students
Nearby schools
- J W Caceres Discovery Int Academy1.0 mi · 299
- M Rivas Pri Discovery Academy1.0 mi · 413
- Veterans Middle School1.1 mi · 866
- IDEA College Prep1.2 mi · 823
- IDEA Academy1.2 mi · 744
- Eloy Garza Salazar Elementary School1.2 mi · 446
Frequently asked questions
About Dora M Sauceda Middle SchoolHow many students attend Dora M Sauceda Middle School?
Dora M Sauceda Middle School enrolls approximately 553 students in grades 06-08.
What grades does Dora M Sauceda Middle School serve?
Dora M Sauceda Middle School serves grades 06-08.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dora M Sauceda Middle School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Dora M Sauceda Middle School is approximately 11.2:1 (49 FTE teachers).
What is the student diversity at Dora M Sauceda Middle School?
Student demographics at Dora M Sauceda Middle School are roughly 0% White, 100% Hispanic.
Who oversees Dora M Sauceda Middle School?
Dora M Sauceda Middle School is overseen by DONNA ISD in Hidalgo County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.