Enrollment
259
Elementary
DISTRICT 423 · STATE 519
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·HARLINGEN CISD·NCES 482253002286
Jefferson Elementary School
601 S J ST, HARLINGEN, TX 78550 · (956) 427-3120 · Cameron County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY13-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL259 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
15.1:1
17 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 15.6:1 · STATE 15.1:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
94%
244 students
DISTRICT 80% · STATE 65%
Community
0
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 78 | 30% |
| Kindergarten | 31 | 12% |
| Grade 1 | 25 | 10% |
| Grade 2 | 35 | 14% |
| Grade 3 | 33 | 13% |
| Grade 4 | 22 | 8% |
| Grade 5 | 35 | 14% |
This year's kindergarten class (31) is 11% smaller than its 5th grade class (35).
Student demographics
2%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 10% · 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
43.0%
TX avg 54.5% . +19.0pp since 2020
Mathematics
37.0%
TX avg 45.3% . +24.0pp since 2020
What this means: On the STAAR, Texas's statewide test, about 43 of every 100 students at this school read at grade level and about 37 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Texas schools, those numbers are about 55 and 45. Reading scores are up about 19 points since 2020, while math scores are up about 24 points.
Performance levels, 2025-26
| Subject | Masters Grade Level | Meets Grade Level | Approaches Grade Level | Did Not Meet Grade Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 22.0% | 21.0% | 20.0% | 37.0% |
| Mathematics | 17.0% | 20.0% | 19.0% | 44.0% |
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 | 43.0% | 37.0% |
| 2024-25 | 37.0% | 37.0% |
| 2023-24 | 34.0% | 27.0% |
| 2022-23 | 35.0% | 35.0% |
| 2021-22 | 36.0% | 21.0% |
| 2020-21 | 24.0% | 13.0% |
% 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
27.1%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
33.5%
based on TX schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-6.3pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 27% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 33% 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 Jefferson Elementary School
Jefferson Elementary School's state test result (27.1% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 4 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson Elementary School this school | 259 | 94.2% | 27.1% |
| Falfurrias Elementary School FALFURRIAS | 251 | 93.6% | 31.4% |
| Lamar Elementary School EL PASO | 265 | 94.7% | 44.8% |
| Rosendo Benavides Elementary School SULLIVAN CITY | 267 | 95.5% | 32.5% |
| San Pedro Fine Arts Academy ROBSTOWN | 243 | 95.1% | 26.6% |
| Stafford Center SAN ANTONIO | 255 | 96.1% | N/A |
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 Jefferson Elementary School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Texas | In Cameron County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 27.1% | #3,906 of 4,401 | #91 of 93 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 37.0% | #3,228 of 4,466 ▼ 169 | #85 of 93 ▼ 5 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 43.0% | #3,349 of 4,466 ▲ 399 | #81 of 93 ▲ 8 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +5.0pp | #2,145 of 3,998 | #62 of 93 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 259 | #4,407 of 4,938 | #88 of 95 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 15.1:1 | #2,534 of 4,622 | #35 of 93 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 2.3% | #4,452 of 4,628 | #74 of 93 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 94.2% | #602 of 4,789 | #27 of 94 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -27.2% | #648 of 2,838 | #19 of 64 |
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
259
-43 (-14%) vs 2020
-44% since 1990-91, when it was 465
Student : Teacher
15.1:1
was 13.7:1
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 | 259 | 17.2 | 15.1:1 | 94% (244) |
| 2023-24 | 255 | 20.9 | 12.2:1 | 98% (250) |
| 2022-23 | 249 | 20 | 12.5:1 | 98% (243) |
| 2020-21 | 302 | 22 | 13.7:1 | 99% (298) |
| 2017-18 | 356 | 24.1 | 14.8:1 | 100% (355) |
| 2015-16 | 316 | 20 | 15.8:1 | 96% (304) |
| 2010-11 | 389 | 24 | 16.2:1 | 95% (371) |
| 2000-01 | 392 | 27 | 14.5:1 | 97% (382) |
| 1990-91 | 465 | 22 | 21.1:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Jefferson Elementary School.
Since 2017-18: students down 27% (356 to 259); teachers down 29% (24.1 to 17.2).
About Jefferson Elementary School
In HARLINGEN, Texas, part of Cameron County, Jefferson Elementary School is an elementary school. It had 259 students in 2024-25, spanning pre-K through 5. That compares with an average of about 519 students for elementary schools in Texas.
Jefferson Elementary School is among 31 schools run by HARLINGEN CISD, which serves 17,506 students.
At Jefferson Elementary School, 99% of students are Hispanic. That is higher than the 89% Hispanic share among all Cameron County residents. The diversity index for Jefferson Elementary School is 2%. For US public schools as a whole it is 70%.
The school has 17.2 full-time-equivalent teachers and a ratio of 15.1 students per teacher. The average for elementary schools in Texas is about 15.1:1. The school reported 94% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024-25. It compares with 84% for public schools in Cameron County.
Compared with Texas schools that have similar shares of low-income students, Jefferson Elementary School's results are 6.3 points below predicted: 27.1% against 33.5%.
In the wider Cameron County area, the median household earns about $52,601 a year, about 22% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and the poverty rate is about 21%. Jefferson Elementary School shares Cameron County with 186 other public schools.
Lamar Elementary School is about 0.4 miles away, making it the nearest public school. There are at least 8 more public schools inside five miles. Jefferson Elementary School ranks 9th of 9 among nearby schools on average proficiency, with 27.1% against a local average of 42.6%.
The National Center for Education Statistics classifies the school's location as City: Small, meaning it is inside a principal city with a population under 100,000.
The school's enrollment decreased 14% from 2020-21 to 2024-25. Students per teacher increased from 13.7 in 2020-21 to 15.1 in 2024-25.
You can use this page to share news and ask questions about athletics, class schedules, and weather closures. Current and former families are welcome to add their experience.
Cameron County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
426,120
Census ACS
Median income
$52,601
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
22%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
21%
Below federal line
Schools in county
187
97,392 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in HARLINGEN CISD
- Harlingen High SchoolHigh · 2,433 students
- Harlingen H S - SouthHigh · 2,019 students
- Dr Abraham P Cano Freshman AcademyCombined · 1,035 students
- Moises Vela Middle SchoolMiddle · 761 students
- Treasure Hills Elementary SchoolElementary · 758 students
- Gutierrez Middle SchoolMiddle · 747 students
Other schools in HARLINGEN
- Harlingen High SchoolHigh · 2,433 students
- Harlingen H S - SouthHigh · 2,019 students
- Dr Abraham P Cano Freshman AcademyCombined · 1,035 students
- Moises Vela Middle SchoolMiddle · 761 students
- Treasure Hills Elementary SchoolElementary · 758 students
- Gutierrez Middle SchoolMiddle · 747 students
Other Jefferson Elementary schools
143 other US public schools in 31 states are named Jefferson Elementary. Jefferson Elementary School is the 120th largest of the 144.
- Jefferson Elementary SchoolEDINBURG, TX · 511 students
- Jefferson Elementary SchoolTEMPLE, TX · 504 students
- Jefferson Elementary SchoolHOUSTON, TX · 330 students
- Jefferson Elementary SchoolWICHITA FALLS, TX · 322 students
- Jefferson Elementary SchoolJEFFERSON, TX · 286 students
Nearby schools
- Lamar Elementary School0.4 mi · 401
- Bowie Elementary School0.6 mi · 335
- Crockett Elementary School0.7 mi · 234
- Travis Elementary School1.1 mi · 294
- Harlingen H S - South1.1 mi · 2,019
- Houston Elementary School1.1 mi · 420
Frequently asked questions
About Jefferson Elementary SchoolHow large is Jefferson Elementary School?
Jefferson Elementary School enrolls approximately 259 students in grades PK-05.
Is Jefferson Elementary School an elementary, middle, or high school?
Jefferson Elementary School is an elementary school covering grades PK-05.
How many teachers does Jefferson Elementary School have?
Jefferson Elementary School employs 17 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 15.1:1.
What is the student diversity at Jefferson Elementary School?
Student demographics at Jefferson Elementary School are roughly 1% White, 99% Hispanic.
Who oversees Jefferson Elementary School?
Jefferson Elementary School is overseen by HARLINGEN CISD in Cameron County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.