JO NELSON MIDDLE

JO NELSON MIDDLE, a micro-enrollment junior high in SANTA ROSA, Texas, part of SANTA ROSA ISD, enrolls 206 students, covering grades 6 through 8. Enrollment runs roughly 68% smaller than the state mean of about 643.

SANTA ROSA ISD comprises 3 schools with combined enrollment of 874 students; JO NELSON MIDDLE is among them.

Looking at the student body, JO NELSON MIDDLE reports that 100% of students identify as Hispanic, making the school strongly Hispanic-majority. By comparison, Cameron County as a whole is about 89% Hispanic, so the school skews visibly more Hispanic than its surroundings.

On the resource side, The school employs 20 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 10.3:1. The state averages around 14.4:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Roughly 89% of students at JO NELSON MIDDLE qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.

After controlling for student poverty, JO NELSON MIDDLE tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 34.9% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 37.0%.

Across the wider county, ACS estimates for Cameron County put median household income runs about $52,601, roughly 22% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 21% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Cameron County's 187 public schools (combined enrollment of about 97,392 students), JO NELSON MIDDLE is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is SANTA ROSA H S, roughly 0.1 miles away. 4 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts JO NELSON MIDDLE at 8th of 8; the average score across the group is 44.1%.

JO NELSON MIDDLE operates from a rural location.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count contracted 17%: 247 students in 2018 compared to 206 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, posts here usually surface around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.