JEFFERSON EL

Located at 601 S J ST, in HARLINGEN, Texas, JEFFERSON EL is a modestly sized primary school that caters to 259 students (grades pre-K through 5), one of the schools within HARLINGEN CISD. By comparison, Texas's public schools average about 519 students each, so JEFFERSON EL sits 50% smaller than that benchmark.

HARLINGEN CISD comprises 31 schools with combined enrollment of 17,506 students; JEFFERSON EL is among them.

Looking at the student body, JEFFERSON EL shows that nearly all students (99%) are Hispanic. The wider county runs roughly 89% Hispanic, putting the school's mix considerably more Hispanic than the area baseline.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, JEFFERSON EL has 17 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 15.1:1. The state averages about 15.1:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. Around 94% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. Set against Cameron County (around 84%), the school's rate is meaningfully above typical.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), JEFFERSON EL tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 32.8% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 24.6%.

Zooming out to the county, the surrounding county (Cameron County) records that median household earnings sit near $52,601, roughly 22% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 21%. In all, Cameron County runs 187 public schools (combined enrollment of about 97,392 students), of which JEFFERSON EL is one.

The closest other public school is LAMAR EL, roughly 0.4 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), JEFFERSON EL ranks 9th on composite proficiency, below the local average of 41.0%.

The campus sits in a city-core setting.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count shrank 27%: 356 students in 2018 compared to 259 in 2025.

Within the allk12 community for this school, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.