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Honest take: what's the hardest part about being a student at IDEA RIO GRANDE CITY COLLEGE PREPARATORY?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
695
High
DISTRICT 676 · STATE 796
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·IDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS·NCES 480021113598
IDEA Rio Grande City College Preparatory
2803 W MONARCH LN, RIO GRANDE CITY, TX 78582 · (956) 263-4900 · Starr County
GRADES 06–12HIGH41-RURALCHARTERTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL695 STUDENTS
B-
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 53% of Texas public high schools
- C+Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- A-Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- CThree-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 high schools
Student : Teacher
15.5:1
45 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 16.1:1 · STATE 15.1:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
90%
626 students
DISTRICT 83% · STATE 65%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 135 | 19% |
| Grade 7 | 129 | 19% |
| Grade 8 | 139 | 20% |
| Grade 9 | 96 | 14% |
| Grade 10 | 77 | 11% |
| Grade 11 | 64 | 9% |
| Grade 12 | 55 | 8% |
Student demographics
8%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
57.0%
TX avg 54.5% . +18.0pp since 2020
Mathematics
44.0%
TX avg 45.3% . +17.0pp since 2020
What this means: On the STAAR, Texas's statewide test, about 57 of every 100 students at this school read at grade level and about 44 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Texas schools, those numbers are about 55 and 45. Reading scores are up about 18 points since 2020, while math scores are up about 17 points.
Performance levels, 2025-26
| Subject | Masters Grade Level | Meets Grade Level | Approaches Grade Level | Did Not Meet Grade Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 25.0% | 32.0% | 17.0% | 26.0% |
| Mathematics | 16.0% | 28.0% | 33.0% | 23.0% |
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 | 57.0% | 44.0% |
| 2024-25 | 56.0% | 49.0% |
| 2023-24 | 55.0% | 42.0% |
| 2022-23 | 50.0% | 34.0% |
| 2021-22 | 49.0% | 39.0% |
| 2020-21 | 39.0% | 27.0% |
% 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
OUTPERFORMING
Top 10% of TX schools after controlling for student poverty
Actual proficiency
50.7%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
35.2%
based on TX schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+15.5pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 51% of students here test proficient in math and reading, well above the roughly 35% typical for Texas schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations ranks schools against others at the same poverty level, not by raw scores, so a school can post high scores and still fall short of its prediction, or post lower scores and still beat it. This school clears its prediction by about 15 points, placing it in Texas's top 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 College Preparatory
IDEA Rio Grande City College Preparatory's state test result (50.7% proficient) is higher than 4 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| IDEA Rio Grande City College Preparatory this school | 695 | 90.1% | 50.7% |
| IDEA Elsa College Preparatory ELSA | 737 | 90.6% | 46.8% |
| IDEA College Preparatory San Juan SAN JUAN | 741 | 89.2% | 42.4% |
| IDEA Robindale College Preparatory BROWNSVILLE | 693 | 90.8% | 45.8% |
| IDEA College Preparatory Mission MISSION | 798 | 91.0% | 45.1% |
| IDEA Frontier College Preparatory BROWNSVILLE | 781 | 88.3% | 51.9% |
Matched among Texas high 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 College Preparatory ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In Texas | In Starr County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 50.7% | #794 of 1,385 | N/A |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 44.0% | #690 of 1,425 ▼ 242 | N/A |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 57.0% | #712 of 1,425 ▼ 36 | N/A |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +8.5pp | #856 of 1,184 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 695 | #745 of 2,107 | #4 of 7 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 15.5:1 | #825 of 1,344 | N/A |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 7.5% | #1,237 of 1,346 | N/A |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 90.1% | #184 of 1,522 | N/A |
Ranked against other public high 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
695
+271 (+64%) vs 2020
Student : Teacher
15.5:1
was 20.2:1
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 | 695 | 44.7 | 15.5:1 | 90% (626) |
| 2023-24 | 661 | 43.9 | 15.1:1 | 93% (615) |
| 2022-23 | 591 | 40.4 | 14.6:1 | 92% (545) |
| 2020-21 | 424 | 21 | 20.2:1 | 92% (390) |
| 2017-18 | 103 | 6.7 | 15.5:1 | 91% (94) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for IDEA Rio Grande City College Preparatory.
Since 2017-18: students up 575% (103 to 695); teachers up 572% (6.7 to 44.7).
About IDEA Rio Grande City College Preparatory
IDEA Rio Grande City College Preparatory is a public medium-sized high school in RIO GRANDE CITY, Texas. The school reports 695 students in grades 6 through 12.
IDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS counts 125 schools and 79,430 students, including IDEA Rio Grande City College Preparatory.
Federal enrollment data show IDEA Rio Grande City College Preparatory is 96% Hispanic. Other groups make up 3% White. County-wide, about 97% of residents are Hispanic. The school's diversity index is 8%, meaning two students picked at random have an 8% chance of belonging to different racial or ethnic groups.
Its teaching staff equals 44.7 full-time positions, a ratio of 15.5:1. That is close to the 15.1:1 average for high schools in Texas. Around 90% of the school's students qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
The allk12 Grade for IDEA Rio Grande City College Preparatory is B-. Compared with Texas public high schools, the school scored higher than 53% on a mix of test scores, poverty-adjusted results, and recent trend.
IDEA Rio Grande City College Preparatory beats its predicted average proficiency rate on state tests by 15.5 points (50.7% versus 35.2%), a top-10% result in Texas on BeatsExpectations.
Recent Census Bureau figures for Starr County show that the median household income is $37,639, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 14%, and roughly 31% of residents are in poverty. Besides IDEA Rio Grande City College Preparatory, Starr County has 28 other public schools.
The shortest distance from IDEA Rio Grande City College Preparatory to another public school is less than a tenth of a mile, to IDEA Rio Grande City Academy. Counting only straight-line distance, at least 8 other public schools are within five miles. Among the 9 closest schools with test data, this one included, IDEA Rio Grande City College Preparatory ranks 4th on average proficiency.
For locale, NCES codes IDEA Rio Grande City College Preparatory as Rural: Fringe. Charter status: IDEA Rio Grande City College Preparatory is a public charter school.
The school counted 424 students in 2020-21 and 695 in 2024-25. A shift in the grades offered could account for part of the difference. Over the same period, the student-to-teacher ratio fell to 15.5:1, from 20.2:1.
The discussion area below is open to posts about sports schedules, lunch menus, and spirit week. 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
- IDEA Rio Grande City AcademyElementary · 717 students
- Grulla High SchoolHigh · 716 students
- General Ricardo Sanchez Elementary SchoolElementary · 712 students
- Ringgold Middle SchoolMiddle · 639 students
Nearby schools
- IDEA Rio Grande City Academy0.0 mi · 717
- 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 College PreparatoryHow large is IDEA Rio Grande City College Preparatory?
IDEA Rio Grande City College Preparatory enrolls approximately 695 students in grades 06-12.
Is IDEA Rio Grande City College Preparatory an elementary, middle, or high school?
IDEA Rio Grande City College Preparatory is a high school covering grades 06-12.
What is the student-teacher ratio at IDEA Rio Grande City College Preparatory?
The student-to-teacher ratio at IDEA Rio Grande City College Preparatory is approximately 15.5:1 (45 FTE teachers).
What is the student diversity at IDEA Rio Grande City College Preparatory?
Student demographics at IDEA Rio Grande City College Preparatory are roughly 3% White, 96% Hispanic, 0% Black, 0% Asian.
What district is IDEA Rio Grande City College Preparatory in?
IDEA Rio Grande City College Preparatory is part of IDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.