1
Best kept secret at IDEA RIO GRANDE CITY ACADEMY?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
717
Elementary
DISTRICT 657 · STATE 519
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·IDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS·NCES 480021113608
IDEA Rio Grande City Academy
2803 W MONARCH LN, RIO GRANDE CITY, TX 78582 · (956) 263-4900 · Starr County
GRADES KG–05ELEMENTARY41-RURALCHARTERTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL717 STUDENTS
B+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 72% 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
21.2:1
34 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 21.6:1 · STATE 15.1:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
85%
611 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 | 101 | 14% |
| Grade 1 | 99 | 14% |
| Grade 2 | 132 | 18% |
| Grade 3 | 128 | 18% |
| Grade 4 | 128 | 18% |
| Grade 5 | 129 | 18% |
This year's kindergarten class (101) is 22% smaller than its 5th grade class (129).
Student demographics
6%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
48.0%
TX avg 54.5% . +17.0pp since 2020
Mathematics
54.0%
TX avg 45.3% . +34.0pp since 2020
What this means: On the STAAR, Texas's statewide test, about 48 of every 100 students at this school read at grade level and about 54 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Texas schools, those numbers are about 55 and 45. Reading scores are up about 17 points since 2020, while math scores are up about 34 points.
Performance levels, 2025-26
| Subject | Masters Grade Level | Meets Grade Level | Approaches Grade Level | Did Not Meet Grade Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 25.0% | 23.0% | 20.0% | 32.0% |
| Mathematics | 34.0% | 20.0% | 21.0% | 25.0% |
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 | 48.0% | 54.0% |
| 2024-25 | 54.0% | 48.0% |
| 2023-24 | 54.0% | 45.0% |
| 2022-23 | 48.0% | 46.0% |
| 2021-22 | 44.0% | 41.0% |
| 2020-21 | 31.0% | 20.0% |
% 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
47.6%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
37.3%
based on TX schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+10.3pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 48% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 37% 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 Rio Grande City Academy
IDEA Rio Grande City Academy's state test result (47.6% proficient) is higher than 4 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| IDEA Rio Grande City Academy this school | 717 | 85.2% | 47.6% |
| Edith & Ethel Carman Elementary School SAN JUAN | 686 | 84.5% | 46.9% |
| Truman Elementary School EDINBURG | 696 | 85.9% | 45.3% |
| H W Schulze Elementary School SAN ANTONIO | 726 | 86.8% | 37.0% |
| Sam Houston Elementary School WESLACO | 761 | 85.3% | 55.1% |
| Jane A Hambric School EL PASO | 740 | 83.8% | 46.2% |
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 Rio Grande City Academy ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Texas | In Starr County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 47.6% | #1,666 of 4,401 | #10 of 16 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 54.0% | #1,361 of 4,466 ▲ 405 | #13 of 16 ▼ 2 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 48.0% | #2,700 of 4,466 ▼ 728 | #13 of 16 ▼ 2 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +4.0pp | #2,248 of 3,998 | #13 of 16 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 717 | #809 of 4,938 | #1 of 17 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 21.2:1 | #4,514 of 4,622 | #16 of 16 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 6.5% | #4,259 of 4,628 | #1 of 16 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 85.2% | #1,548 of 4,789 | #15 of 16 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +90.7% | #35 of 1,307 | N/A |
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
717
-131 (-15%) vs 2020
Student : Teacher
21.2:1
was 30.3:1
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 | 717 | 33.8 | 21.2:1 | 85% (611) |
| 2023-24 | 733 | 33.1 | 22.1:1 | 88% (648) |
| 2022-23 | 825 | 36.1 | 22.9:1 | 89% (735) |
| 2020-21 | 848 | 28 | 30.3:1 | 92% (776) |
| 2017-18 | 376 | 21.2 | 17.8:1 | 93% (349) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for IDEA Rio Grande City Academy.
Since 2017-18: students up 91% (376 to 717); teachers up 60% (21.2 to 33.8).
About IDEA Rio Grande City Academy
IDEA Rio Grande City Academy is a medium-sized elementary school. Its address is in RIO GRANDE CITY, Texas. It serves 717 students in kindergarten through 5. For comparison, elementary schools in Texas average about 519 students.
In IDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS, 125 schools enroll a combined 79,430 students.
Most students at IDEA Rio Grande City Academy are Hispanic: 97% of enrollment. Other groups make up 3% White. County-wide, about 97% of residents are Hispanic. The chance that two students picked at random at IDEA Rio Grande City Academy belong to different racial or ethnic groups, known as the diversity index, is 6%.
Staffing totals 33.8 full-time-equivalent teachers, and the student-to-teacher ratio is 21.2:1. For comparison, elementary schools in Texas average 15.1:1. A measure often used for student poverty, free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, stands at 85%. That is 8 points below the 93% average for public schools in Starr County.
allk12 grades IDEA Rio Grande City Academy a B+. The grade compares the school only with Texas public elementary schools, because each state gives its own test.
IDEA Rio Grande City Academy's average proficiency rate on state tests of 47.6% is 10.3 points above the 37.3% the model predicts from its lunch-eligibility share.
According to the American Community Survey, in Starr County, median household income is about $37,639, roughly 14% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and about 31% of residents live below the federal poverty line. IDEA Rio Grande City Academy is one of 29 public schools in Starr County, which together enroll about 16,900 students.
IDEA Rio Grande City College Preparatory is the public school closest to IDEA Rio Grande City Academy, less than a tenth of a mile away. Inside a five-mile radius, there are at least 8 other public schools. Ranked by average proficiency, IDEA Rio Grande City Academy places 5th out of 9 schools in its immediate area.
The school's federal locale classification is Rural: Fringe. Federal records list IDEA Rio Grande City Academy as a charter school.
Enrollment was 848 in 2020-21 and 717 in 2024-25, a decrease of 131 students. Staffing shifted too: the ratio moved from 30.3:1 to 21.2:1.
Posts about sports tryouts, band and choir, and theater are welcome on this page. Reviews and ratings from people who know the school are welcome.
Starr County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
66,067
Census ACS
Median income
$37,639
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
14%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
31%
Below federal line
Schools in county
29
16,900 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 RIO GRANDE CITY
- Rio Grande City High SchoolHigh · 1,670 students
- Veterans Middle SchoolMiddle · 734 students
- Grulla High SchoolHigh · 716 students
- General Ricardo Sanchez Elementary SchoolElementary · 712 students
- IDEA Rio Grande City College PreparatoryHigh · 695 students
- Ringgold Middle SchoolMiddle · 639 students
Nearby schools
- IDEA Rio Grande City College Preparatory0.0 mi · 695
- General Ricardo Sanchez Elementary School0.4 mi · 712
- Veterans Middle School0.6 mi · 734
- Ringgold Middle School1.0 mi · 639
- Preparatory for Early College High School1.0 mi · 430
- Roque Guerra Jr Elementary School2.3 mi · 604
Frequently asked questions
About IDEA Rio Grande City AcademyHow large is IDEA Rio Grande City Academy?
IDEA Rio Grande City Academy enrolls approximately 717 students in grades KG-05.
Is IDEA Rio Grande City Academy an elementary, middle, or high school?
IDEA Rio Grande City Academy is an elementary school covering grades KG-05.
How many students per teacher at IDEA Rio Grande City Academy?
Approximately 21.2:1 students per teacher at IDEA Rio Grande City Academy.
What is the racial breakdown of students at IDEA Rio Grande City Academy?
At IDEA Rio Grande City Academy, the student body is approximately 3% White, 97% Hispanic, 0% Asian.
Is IDEA Rio Grande City Academy public or private?
IDEA Rio Grande City Academy is a public K-12 school operated as a charter, overseen by IDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.