IDEA ACADEMY PHARR

Set in PHARR, Texas, IDEA ACADEMY PHARR is a reasonably sized elementary school, run under IDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS. It educates 717 students across grades K through 5. Enrollment runs roughly 38% bigger than the state mean of about 519.

IDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS comprises 125 schools with combined enrollment of 79,430 students; IDEA ACADEMY PHARR is among them.

On demographics, IDEA ACADEMY PHARR logs that nearly all students (100%) are Hispanic.

In terms of school funding signals, Staff filings list 31 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 22.8:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 15.1:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. About 94% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. That share is above Hidalgo County's rate of about 85%.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, IDEA ACADEMY PHARR sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 33.0%; this one delivers 42.8%.

Across the wider county, Hidalgo County reports that median household earnings sit near $54,338, roughly 21% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 23% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Hidalgo County runs 364 public schools (combined enrollment of about 212,859 students), of which IDEA ACADEMY PHARR is one.

Nearest neighbor: IDEA COLLEGE PREPARATORY PHARR, around 0.0 miles off. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts IDEA ACADEMY PHARR at 9th of 9; the average score across the group is 55.6%.

Geographically, the school is in a downtown area. IDEA ACADEMY PHARR operates as a public charter school, meaning it is publicly funded but governed independently of the surrounding district's traditional schools.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count decreased 18%: 876 students in 2018 compared to 717 in 2025. The student-to-teacher ratio loosened from 21.1:1 in 2018 to 22.8:1 today.

On this page, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.