DOWNS FINE ARTS ACADEMY

Set in SAN BENITO, Texas, DOWNS FINE ARTS ACADEMY is a small elementary-level community, overseen by SAN BENITO CISD. It educates 426 students across grades pre-K through 5.

DOWNS FINE ARTS ACADEMY is one of 23 schools operated by SAN BENITO CISD, a district that enrolls 9,137 students overall.

On the student-mix side, DOWNS FINE ARTS ACADEMY shows that 95% of students identify as Hispanic, making the school strongly Hispanic-majority; the rest consists of 5% White.

On the resource side, Staff filings list 31 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 13.8:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 15.1:1, putting DOWNS FINE ARTS ACADEMY tighter than the state norm the norm. An estimated 73% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. Set against Cameron County (around 84%), the school's rate is south of typical.

With demographic context factored in, DOWNS FINE ARTS ACADEMY tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 42.2% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 47.6%.

In the broader community, the surrounding county (Cameron County) records that median household earnings sit near $52,601, about 22% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 21%. DOWNS FINE ARTS ACADEMY is one of 187 public schools in Cameron County (combined enrollment of about 97,392 students).

The closest other public school is MILLER JORDAN MIDDLE, roughly 0.6 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 7 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), DOWNS FINE ARTS ACADEMY ranks 2nd on composite proficiency, above the local average of 33.4%.

Geographically, the school is in a suburban area.

Trend over the last 7 years. DOWNS FINE ARTS ACADEMY's enrollment has stayed largely flat since 2018, when it stood at 436 (now 426). Class-load math has pulled in: from 17.0:1 in 2018 to 13.8:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, members of the DOWNS FINE ARTS ACADEMY community share and discuss science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.