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What advice would you give to incoming students at IDEA OWASSA ACADEMY?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
699
Elementary
DISTRICT 657 · STATE 519
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·IDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS·NCES 480021113712
IDEA Owassa Academy
1000 E OWASSA RD, PHARR, TX 78577 · (956) 351-4959 · Hidalgo County
GRADES KG–05ELEMENTARY13-CITYCHARTERTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL699 STUDENTS
B+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 73% of Texas public elementary schools
- BTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- ABeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- C+Three-year trend Change in reading and math proficiency over the last three test years.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Texas public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
21.1:1
33 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 21.6:1 · STATE 15.1:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
82%
573 students
DISTRICT 83% · STATE 65%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 82 | 12% |
| Grade 1 | 121 | 17% |
| Grade 2 | 117 | 17% |
| Grade 3 | 120 | 17% |
| Grade 4 | 130 | 19% |
| Grade 5 | 129 | 18% |
This year's kindergarten class (82) is 36% smaller than its 5th grade class (129).
Student demographics
16%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 27% · 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
52.0%
TX avg 54.5% . +22.0pp since 2020
Mathematics
50.0%
TX avg 45.3% . +18.0pp since 2020
What this means: On the STAAR, Texas's statewide test, about 52 of every 100 students at this school read at grade level and about 50 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Texas schools, those numbers are about 55 and 45. Reading scores are up about 22 points since 2020, while math scores are up about 18 points.
Performance levels, 2025-26
| Subject | Masters Grade Level | Meets Grade Level | Approaches Grade Level | Did Not Meet Grade Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 25.0% | 27.0% | 25.0% | 23.0% |
| Mathematics | 22.0% | 28.0% | 22.0% | 28.0% |
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 | 52.0% | 50.0% |
| 2024-25 | 57.0% | 48.0% |
| 2023-24 | 52.0% | 45.0% |
| 2022-23 | 46.0% | 49.0% |
| 2021-22 | 55.0% | 38.0% |
| 2020-21 | 30.0% | 32.0% |
% 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
48.8%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
38.7%
based on TX schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+10.1pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 49% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 39% 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 IDEA Owassa Academy
IDEA Owassa Academy's state test result (48.8% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| IDEA Owassa Academy this school | 699 | 82.0% | 48.8% |
| Somerset Elementary School SOMERSET | 716 | 82.8% | 55.6% |
| IDEA Brownsville Academy BROWNSVILLE | 702 | 81.8% | 47.3% |
| Harmony School of Excellence - El Paso EL PASO | 682 | 81.1% | 61.9% |
| S/Sgt Michael P Barrera Veterans Elementary School VON ORMY | 639 | 81.8% | 58.8% |
| IDEA Academy San Benito SAN BENITO | 685 | 80.3% | 50.1% |
Matched among Texas elementary 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 IDEA Owassa Academy ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Texas | In Hidalgo County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 48.8% | #1,548 of 4,401 | #61 of 181 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 50.0% | #1,716 of 4,466 ▲ 51 | #80 of 183 ▼ 9 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 52.0% | #2,221 of 4,466 ▼ 564 | #91 of 183 ▼ 33 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +3.5pp | #2,308 of 3,998 | #111 of 180 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 699 | #923 of 4,938 | #23 of 192 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 21.1:1 | #4,504 of 4,622 | #167 of 185 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 16.5% | #3,874 of 4,628 | #9 of 185 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 82.0% | #1,795 of 4,789 | #153 of 190 |
Ranked against other public elementary 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
699
+103 (+17%) vs 2020
Student : Teacher
21.1:1
was 33.1:1
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 | 699 | 33.2 | 21.1:1 | 82% (573) |
| 2023-24 | 708 | 29.9 | 23.6:1 | 86% (609) |
| 2022-23 | 810 | 34.1 | 23.8:1 | 88% (709) |
| 2020-21 | 596 | 18 | 33.1:1 | 95% (566) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for IDEA Owassa Academy.
About IDEA Owassa Academy
IDEA Owassa Academy serves students in PHARR, Texas, as a mid-sized elementary school. It offers kindergarten through 5 and has 699 students enrolled. Elementary schools in Texas have about 519 students on average; enrollment here is 35% higher.
In IDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS, 125 schools enroll a combined 79,430 students.
Of every 100 students at IDEA Owassa Academy, about 91 are Hispanic. It is also 7% White. Census estimates put Hidalgo County at about 92% Hispanic, close to the school's figure. On a 0 to 100 scale, the school's diversity index is 16, compared with 70 nationally.
The school has 33.2 full-time-equivalent teachers and a ratio of 21.1 students per teacher. Elementary schools in Texas average 15.1:1, 6.0 fewer students per teacher than here. Of all students at IDEA Owassa Academy, 82% are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. The figure for public schools in Hidalgo County is close, at 85%.
Among Texas public elementary schools, IDEA Owassa Academy outscored 73%, which works out to a B+ on the allk12 Grade.
The model predicts 38.7% for a school in Texas with IDEA Owassa Academy's free or reduced-price lunch share. IDEA Owassa Academy posts 48.8%.
The county, Hidalgo County, is where the school is located. Median household income comes to about $54,338, about 21% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and roughly 23% of residents are in poverty. The county has 364 public schools and about 212,859 students.
IDEA Owassa College Preparatory, less than a tenth of a mile away, is the closest public school. Other public schools within five miles number at least 8. Compared with its nearest neighbors, IDEA Owassa Academy ranks 4th of 7 on average proficiency.
The school's locale code, City: Small, means it is inside a principal city with a population under 100,000. IDEA Owassa Academy holds a charter, making it a public charter school.
The school's student count increased 17% between the 2020-21 and 2024-25 school years. The number of students per teacher dropped from 33.1 to 21.1 over 4 years.
People who know IDEA Owassa Academy can post here about open houses, carpools, and field trips. Teachers and staff are welcome to share updates too.
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 IDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
- IDEA College Preparatory PharrHigh · 848 students
- IDEA Montopolis College PreparatoryHigh · 835 students
- IDEA College PrepHigh · 823 students
- IDEA McAllen College PreparatoryHigh · 820 students
- IDEA Riverview College PreparatoryHigh · 813 students
- IDEA College Preparatory MissionHigh · 798 students
Other schools in PHARR
- Psja North Early College High SchoolHigh · 2,166 students
- Vanguard RembrandtCombined · 1,978 students
- Psja Southwest Early College High SchoolHigh · 1,588 students
- Vanguard Van GoghCombined · 1,048 students
- Lyndon B Johnson Middle SchoolMiddle · 1,006 students
- IDEA College Preparatory PharrHigh · 848 students
Nearby schools
- IDEA Owassa College Preparatory0.0 mi · 689
- Escandon Elementary School1.0 mi · 605
- Psja North Early College High School1.2 mi · 2,166
- Dr William Long Elementary School1.4 mi · 767
- Alfonso Ramirez Elementary School1.6 mi · 661
- Premier High Schools - Edinburg Career & Technical1.7 mi · 153
Frequently asked questions
About IDEA Owassa AcademyHow many students attend IDEA Owassa Academy?
IDEA Owassa Academy enrolls approximately 699 students in grades KG-05.
Is IDEA Owassa Academy an elementary, middle, or high school?
IDEA Owassa Academy is an elementary school covering grades KG-05.
How many teachers does IDEA Owassa Academy have?
IDEA Owassa Academy employs 33 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 21.1:1.
What is the racial breakdown of students at IDEA Owassa Academy?
At IDEA Owassa Academy, the student body is approximately 7% White, 91% Hispanic, 0% Black, 1% Asian, 0% Two or more.
What district is IDEA Owassa Academy in?
IDEA Owassa Academy is part of IDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.