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How has PSJA SOUTHWEST EARLY COLLEGE H S changed in the last five years, for better or worse?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
1,588
High
DISTRICT 1,150 · STATE 796
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·PHARR-SAN JUAN-ALAMO ISD·NCES 483486011513
Psja Southwest Early College High School
300 E JAVELINA DR, PHARR, TX 78577 · (956) 354-2480 · Hidalgo County
GRADES 09–12HIGH13-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL1,588 STUDENTS
B
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 55% 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.
- ABeats 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 high schools
Student : Teacher
12.5:1
127 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 11.2:1 · STATE 15.1:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
95%
1,510 students
DISTRICT 94% · 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 9 | 386 | 24% |
| Grade 10 | 366 | 23% |
| Grade 11 | 386 | 24% |
| Grade 12 | 450 | 28% |
Student demographics
3%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 2% · 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
46.0%
TX avg 54.5% . +10.0pp since 2020
Mathematics
50.0%
TX avg 45.3% . +35.0pp since 2020
What this means: On the STAAR, Texas's statewide test, about 46 of every 100 students at this school read at grade level and about 50 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Texas schools, those numbers are about 55 and 45. Reading scores are up about 10 points since 2020, while math scores are up about 35 points.
Performance levels, 2025-26
| Subject | Masters Grade Level | Meets Grade Level | Approaches Grade Level | Did Not Meet Grade Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 8.0% | 38.0% | 18.0% | 36.0% |
| Mathematics | 27.0% | 23.0% | 33.0% | 17.0% |
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 | 46.0% | 50.0% |
| 2024-25 | 46.0% | 48.0% |
| 2023-24 | 46.0% | 51.0% |
| 2022-23 | 33.0% | 48.0% |
| 2021-22 | 42.0% | 55.0% |
| 2020-21 | 36.0% | 15.0% |
% 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
51.3%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
33.1%
based on TX schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+18.2pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 51% of students here test proficient in math and reading, well above the roughly 33% 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 18 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 Psja Southwest Early College High School
Psja Southwest Early College High School's state test result (51.3% proficient) is higher than 3 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psja Southwest Early College High School this school | 1,588 | 95.1% | 51.3% |
| Pace Early College High School BROWNSVILLE | 1,621 | 94.0% | 57.1% |
| Rio Grande City High School RIO GRANDE CITY | 1,670 | 96.2% | 42.7% |
| Dr Leo Cigarroa High School LAREDO | 1,379 | 95.8% | 37.8% |
| Porter Early College High School BROWNSVILLE | 1,543 | 93.3% | 52.1% |
| Donna North High School DONNA | 1,974 | 94.5% | 33.8% |
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 Psja Southwest Early College High School ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In Texas | In Hidalgo County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 51.3% | #776 of 1,385 | #28 of 56 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 50.0% | #538 of 1,425 ▼ 41 | #20 of 56 ▼ 5 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 46.0% | #1,084 of 1,425 ▼ 91 | #38 of 56 ▼ 2 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +7.5pp | #896 of 1,184 | #31 of 56 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 1,588 | #434 of 2,107 | #20 of 84 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 12.5:1 | #350 of 1,344 | #9 of 56 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 3.5% | #1,285 of 1,346 | #33 of 56 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 95.1% | #71 of 1,522 | #14 of 65 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -11.2% | #224 of 557 | #9 of 31 |
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
1,588
-179 (-10%) vs 2020
+360% since 2010-11, when it was 345
Student : Teacher
12.5:1
was 12.2:1
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 | 1,588 | 126.9 | 12.5:1 | 95% (1,510) |
| 2023-24 | 1,597 | 127.2 | 12.6:1 | 96% (1,538) |
| 2022-23 | 1,692 | 134.8 | 12.6:1 | 98% (1,652) |
| 2020-21 | 1,767 | 145 | 12.2:1 | 99% (1,745) |
| 2017-18 | 1,788 | 139.3 | 12.8:1 | 98% (1,761) |
| 2015-16 | 1,774 | 131 | 13.5:1 | 94% (1,670) |
| 2010-11 | 345 | 31 | 11.1:1 | 0% (0) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Psja Southwest Early College High School.
Since 2017-18: students down 11% (1,788 to 1,588); teachers down 9% (139.3 to 126.9).
About Psja Southwest Early College High School
Psja Southwest Early College High School, a large high school, is located in PHARR, Texas. The school reports 1,588 students in grades 9 through 12. The school's enrollment is 99% above the 796 average for high schools in Texas.
Psja Southwest Early College High School is among 44 schools run by PHARR-SAN JUAN-ALAMO ISD, which serves 29,749 students.
Hispanic students are the large majority at Psja Southwest Early College High School, with 98% of enrollment. By the diversity index, Psja Southwest Early College High School comes in at 3%.
A ratio of 12.5:1 comes from the school's 126.9 full-time-equivalent teachers. The 15.1:1 average for high schools in Texas is higher than this school's figure. The lunch program counts 95% of students at Psja Southwest Early College High School as eligible for free or reduced-price meals. That is 10 points above the 85% average for public schools in Hidalgo County.
Measured against Texas public high schools, Psja Southwest Early College High School receives a B. The grade weighs proficiency most heavily, then how results compare with what the school's low-income share predicts, then the three-year change.
Test results at Psja Southwest Early College High School are 18.2 points above what its student poverty level predicts. The average proficiency rate on state tests is 51.3%, compared with a predicted 33.1%, which ranks in the top 10% in Texas.
Hidalgo County has about 891,977 residents, and median household income is about $54,338, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 21% of adults, and the poverty rate is about 23%. Federal data list 364 public schools in Hidalgo County, with a combined enrollment of about 212,859.
Kennedy Middle School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.9 miles away. A five-mile radius around the school includes at least 8 other public schools. Nearby schools average 47.8% on proficiency, and Psja Southwest Early College High School is above that at 51.3%.
Under the NCES locale system, Psja Southwest Early College High School is City: Small.
Enrollment was 1,767 in 2020-21 and 1,588 in 2024-25, a decrease of 179 students.
Posts about school safety, transportation, and start times are welcome on this page. Questions from prospective families are welcome too.
Hidalgo County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
891,977
Census ACS
Median income
$54,338
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
21%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
23%
Below federal line
Schools in county
364
212,859 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in PHARR-SAN JUAN-ALAMO ISD
- Psja Early College High SchoolHigh · 2,300 students
- Psja North Early College High SchoolHigh · 2,166 students
- Psja Memorial Early College High SchoolHigh · 1,997 students
- Lyndon B Johnson Middle SchoolMiddle · 1,006 students
- Austin Middle SchoolMiddle · 833 students
- Audie Murphy Middle SchoolMiddle · 790 students
Other schools in PHARR
- Psja North Early College High SchoolHigh · 2,166 students
- Vanguard RembrandtCombined · 1,978 students
- Vanguard Van GoghCombined · 1,048 students
- Lyndon B Johnson Middle SchoolMiddle · 1,006 students
- IDEA College Preparatory PharrHigh · 848 students
- Dr William Long Elementary SchoolElementary · 767 students
Nearby schools
- Kennedy Middle School0.9 mi · 519
- Geraldine Palmer Elementary School1.2 mi · 657
- Jaime Escalante Middle School1.6 mi · 554
- Graciela Garcia Elementary School1.6 mi · 385
- Vanguard Van Gogh1.7 mi · 1,048
- Liberty Middle School1.7 mi · 742
Frequently asked questions
About Psja Southwest Early College High SchoolHow large is Psja Southwest Early College High School?
Psja Southwest Early College High School enrolls approximately 1,588 students in grades 09-12.
Is Psja Southwest Early College High School an elementary, middle, or high school?
Psja Southwest Early College High School is a high school covering grades 09-12.
How many teachers does Psja Southwest Early College High School have?
Psja Southwest Early College High School employs 127 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 12.5:1.
How diverse is Psja Southwest Early College High School?
Psja Southwest Early College High School reports a student body of 1% White, 98% Hispanic, 0% Black, 1% Asian, 0% Two or more.
What district is Psja Southwest Early College High School in?
Psja Southwest Early College High School is part of PHARR-SAN JUAN-ALAMO ISD.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.