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What's one thing LA PALOMA EL gets right about preparing students for what comes next?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
474
Elementary
DISTRICT 397 · STATE 519
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·SAN BENITO CISD·NCES 483879005919
La Paloma Elementary School
35076 PADILLA ST, SAN BENITO, TX 78586 · (956) 361-6780 · Cameron County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY41-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL474 STUDENTS
C+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 43% of Texas public elementary schools
- C+Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- BBeats 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
16.5:1
29 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 15.4:1 · STATE 15.1:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
88%
418 students
DISTRICT 82% · 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 101 | 21% |
| Kindergarten | 60 | 13% |
| Grade 1 | 67 | 14% |
| Grade 2 | 53 | 11% |
| Grade 3 | 70 | 15% |
| Grade 4 | 67 | 14% |
| Grade 5 | 56 | 12% |
This year's kindergarten class (60) is 7% larger than its 5th grade class (56).
Student demographics
7%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 4% · 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
50.0%
TX avg 54.5% . +28.0pp since 2020
Mathematics
56.0%
TX avg 45.3% . +40.0pp since 2020
What this means: On the STAAR, Texas's statewide test, about 50 of every 100 students at this school read at grade level and about 56 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Texas schools, those numbers are about 55 and 45. Reading scores are up about 28 points since 2020, while math scores are up about 40 points.
Performance levels, 2025-26
| Subject | Masters Grade Level | Meets Grade Level | Approaches Grade Level | Did Not Meet Grade Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 19.0% | 31.0% | 27.0% | 23.0% |
| Mathematics | 18.0% | 38.0% | 25.0% | 19.0% |
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 | 50.0% | 56.0% |
| 2024-25 | 52.0% | 49.0% |
| 2023-24 | 34.0% | 35.0% |
| 2022-23 | 48.0% | 51.0% |
| 2021-22 | 51.0% | 42.0% |
| 2020-21 | 22.0% | 16.0% |
% 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
38.2%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
36.0%
based on TX schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+2.2pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 38% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 36% 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 La Paloma Elementary School
La Paloma Elementary School's state test result (38.2% proficient) is higher than 3 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Paloma Elementary School this school | 474 | 88.2% | 38.2% |
| Parkland Elementary School EL PASO | 471 | 89.6% | 48.0% |
| Briscoe Elementary School SAN ANTONIO | 494 | 88.7% | 23.9% |
| Travis Elementary School MERCEDES | 478 | 90.0% | 32.3% |
| Pfc Mario Ybarra Elementary School WESLACO | 503 | 88.3% | 39.7% |
| Central Elementary School CARROLLTON | 455 | 87.9% | 30.8% |
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 La Paloma Elementary School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Texas | In Cameron County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 38.2% | #2,816 of 4,401 | #76 of 93 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 56.0% | #1,257 of 4,466 ▲ 492 | #32 of 93 ▲ 12 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 50.0% | #2,560 of 4,466 ▼ 271 | #61 of 93 ▼ 1 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +3.5pp | #2,371 of 3,998 | #69 of 93 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 474 | #2,785 of 4,938 | #47 of 95 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 16.5:1 | #3,647 of 4,622 | #67 of 93 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 6.5% | #4,253 of 4,628 | #42 of 93 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 88.2% | #1,264 of 4,789 | #54 of 94 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +12.1% | #665 of 1,307 | #13 of 22 |
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
474
-5 (-1%) vs 2020
+298% since 1990-91, when it was 119
Student : Teacher
16.5:1
was 16.5:1
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 | 474 | 28.7 | 16.5:1 | 88% (418) |
| 2023-24 | 482 | 25.3 | 19.1:1 | 94% (454) |
| 2022-23 | 446 | 25.9 | 17.2:1 | 91% (405) |
| 2020-21 | 479 | 29 | 16.5:1 | 93% (447) |
| 2017-18 | 423 | 25.8 | 16.4:1 | 87% (366) |
| 2015-16 | 411 | 25 | 16.4:1 | 81% (331) |
| 2010-11 | 618 | 33 | 18.7:1 | 0% (0) |
| 2000-01 | 498 | 27 | 18.4:1 | 9% (46) |
| 1990-91 | 119 | 17 | 7.0:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for La Paloma Elementary School.
Since 2017-18: students up 12% (423 to 474); teachers up 11% (25.8 to 28.7).
About La Paloma Elementary School
La Paloma Elementary School is classified as an elementary school. It is located in SAN BENITO, Texas. A total of 474 students attend the school, which covers pre-K through 5.
SAN BENITO CISD has 9,137 students spread across 23 schools.
Hispanic students are the large majority at La Paloma Elementary School, with 97% of enrollment. The next largest groups are 3% White. La Paloma Elementary School has a diversity index of 7%, compared with 70% for all US public school students.
Dividing enrollment by its 28.7 full-time-equivalent teachers gives a ratio of about 16.5:1. The average ratio among elementary schools in Texas is 15.1:1, lower than at this school. La Paloma Elementary School reports 88% of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals.
Measured against Texas public elementary schools, La Paloma Elementary School receives a C+. The grade weighs proficiency most heavily, then how results compare with what the school's low-income share predicts, then the three-year change.
When test results are adjusted for free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, La Paloma Elementary School is 2.2 points above its prediction. Actual: 38.2%. Predicted: 36.0%.
Federal survey data for Cameron County show that median household income is about $52,601, about 22% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and the poverty rate is about 21%. A total of 187 public schools operate in Cameron County, serving about 97,392 students.
The next-closest public school is San Benito Riverside Middle School, about 0.4 miles away. There are 4 more public schools inside five miles. La Paloma Elementary School ranks 5th of 8 among nearby schools on average proficiency, with 38.2% against a local average of 41.2%.
La Paloma Elementary School is coded as Rural: Fringe in federal locale data.
La Paloma Elementary School had 479 students in 2020-21 and 474 in 2024-25, nearly the same.
Discussions about La Paloma Elementary School may include sports tryouts, band and choir, and theater. Questions from prospective families are welcome too.
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 SAN BENITO CISD
- San Benito High SchoolHigh · 2,057 students
- Berta Cabaza Middle SchoolMiddle · 695 students
- San Benito Veterans Memorial AcademyHigh · 645 students
- Cash Elementary SchoolElementary · 611 students
- San Benito Riverside Middle SchoolMiddle · 558 students
- La Encantada Elementary SchoolElementary · 488 students
Other schools in SAN BENITO
- San Benito High SchoolHigh · 2,057 students
- South Texas ISD Rising Scholars AcademyMiddle · 781 students
- IDEA College Preparatory San BenitoHigh · 780 students
- Berta Cabaza Middle SchoolMiddle · 695 students
- IDEA Academy San BenitoElementary · 685 students
- Liberty Memorial Middle SchoolMiddle · 673 students
Other La Paloma Elementary schools
One other US public school is named La Paloma Elementary. La Paloma Elementary School is the 2nd largest of the 2.
- La Paloma ElementaryFallbrook, CA · 499 students
Nearby schools
- San Benito Riverside Middle School0.4 mi · 558
- Angela Gerusa Leal Elementary School2.4 mi · 351
- La Encantada Elementary School2.8 mi · 488
- Judge Oscar De La Fuente Elementary School4.3 mi · 271
- Raul Garza Jr Steam Academy5.2 mi · 437
- Sullivan Environmental Science Academy5.5 mi · 367
Frequently asked questions
About La Paloma Elementary SchoolWhat is the total enrollment at La Paloma Elementary School?
La Paloma Elementary School enrolls approximately 474 students in grades PK-05.
What age range does La Paloma Elementary School serve?
La Paloma Elementary School serves students from grade PK through grade 05.
What is the student-teacher ratio at La Paloma Elementary School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at La Paloma Elementary School is approximately 16.5:1 (29 FTE teachers).
How diverse is La Paloma Elementary School?
La Paloma Elementary School reports a student body of 3% White, 97% Hispanic, 0% Black.
Who oversees La Paloma Elementary School?
La Paloma Elementary School is overseen by SAN BENITO CISD in Cameron County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.