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Best kept secret at SGT WILLIAM G HARRELL MIDDLE?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
390
Middle
DISTRICT 454 · STATE 643
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·MERCEDES ISD·NCES 483025010820
Sgt William G Harrell Middle School
2825 N FM 491, MERCEDES, TX 78570 · (956) 514-2300 · Hidalgo County
GRADES 06–08MIDDLE41-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL390 STUDENTS
D
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 12% of Texas public middle schools
- DTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- CBeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- B-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 middle schools
Student : Teacher
12.5:1
31 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 13.3:1 · STATE 14.4:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
98%
381 students
DISTRICT 91% · STATE 65%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other middle schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 133 | 34% |
| Grade 7 | 111 | 28% |
| Grade 8 | 146 | 37% |
Student demographics
6%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 2024-25 . % Meets Grade Level or AboveReading
38.0%
TX avg 53.3% . +27.0pp since 2020
Mathematics
25.0%
TX avg 43.3% . +20.0pp since 2020
What this means: On the STAAR, Texas's statewide test, about 38 of every 100 students at this school read at grade level and about 25 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Texas schools, those numbers are about 53 and 43. Reading scores are up about 27 points since 2020, while math scores are up about 20 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Masters Grade Level | Meets Grade Level | Approaches Grade Level | Did Not Meet Grade Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 11.0% | 27.0% | 27.0% | 35.0% |
| Mathematics | 7.0% | 18.0% | 26.0% | 49.0% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 38.0% | 25.0% |
| 2023-24 | 30.0% | 18.0% |
| 2022-23 | 27.0% | 23.0% |
| 2021-22 | 28.0% | 17.0% |
| 2020-21 | 11.0% | 5.0% |
% 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
23.8%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
32.0%
based on TX schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-8.2pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 24% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 32% 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 Sgt William G Harrell Middle School
Sgt William G Harrell Middle School's state test result (23.8% proficient) is higher than 3 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sgt William G Harrell Middle School this school | 390 | 97.7% | 23.8% |
| Martin Middle School CORPUS CHRISTI | 406 | 96.6% | 22.4% |
| Salvador Garcia Middle School RIO BRAVO | 361 | 98.1% | 40.7% |
| Guillen Middle School EL PASO | 433 | 97.9% | 15.2% |
| Edison Middle School HOUSTON | 388 | 99.7% | 43.8% |
| Iltexas Bg Ramirez Middle School CLEVELAND | 418 | 95.5% | 21.5% |
Matched among Texas middle 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 Sgt William G Harrell Middle School ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In Texas | In Hidalgo County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 23.8% | #1,541 of 1,635 | #54 of 54 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 25.0% | #1,540 of 1,670 ▲ 62 | #51 of 54 ▲ 3 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 38.0% | #1,514 of 1,670 ▲ 107 | #52 of 54 ▲ 2 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +9.0pp | #861 of 1,570 | #35 of 54 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 390 | #1,280 of 1,749 | #49 of 54 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 12.5:1 | #256 of 1,542 | #20 of 52 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 6.0% | #1,433 of 1,543 | #10 of 52 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 97.7% | #47 of 1,648 | #6 of 54 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -34.5% | #90 of 942 | #4 of 44 |
Ranked against other public middle 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
390
-148 (-28%) vs 2020
+3% since 2010-11, when it was 380
Student : Teacher
12.5:1
was 12.5:1
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 | 390 | 31.2 | 12.5:1 | 98% (381) |
| 2023-24 | 388 | 39.2 | 9.9:1 | 98% (382) |
| 2022-23 | 451 | 38.5 | 11.7:1 | 95% (427) |
| 2020-21 | 538 | 43 | 12.5:1 | 93% (499) |
| 2017-18 | 595 | 49.6 | 12.0:1 | 92% (549) |
| 2015-16 | 427 | 38 | 11.2:1 | 94% (401) |
| 2010-11 | 380 | 26 | 14.6:1 | 0% (0) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Sgt William G Harrell Middle School.
Since 2017-18: students down 34% (595 to 390); teachers down 37% (49.6 to 31.2).
About Sgt William G Harrell Middle School
Sgt William G Harrell Middle School serves students in MERCEDES, Texas, as a small middle-grades school. School enrollment was 390 students in 2024-25, in grades 6 through 8. The average among middle schools in Texas is roughly 643 students; this school is 39% smaller than that.
MERCEDES ISD, which runs Sgt William G Harrell Middle School, has 11 schools and 4,207 students.
The student body at Sgt William G Harrell Middle School is 97% Hispanic. Other reported shares: 3% White. The school's diversity index is 6%, meaning two students picked at random have a 6% chance of belonging to different racial or ethnic groups.
A ratio of 12.5:1 comes from the school's 31.2 full-time-equivalent teachers. That is 1.9 students per teacher below the 14.4:1 average for middle schools in Texas. Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility was 98% in 2024-25. The average for public schools in Hidalgo County is 85%.
Sgt William G Harrell Middle School is graded D by allk12, scoring above 12% of Texas public middle schools once test results, poverty-adjusted performance, and the recent trend are combined.
Given its share of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, Sgt William G Harrell Middle School would be expected to post about 32.0%. Its actual average proficiency rate on state tests is 23.8%.
According to the American Community Survey, in Hidalgo County, the median household income is $54,338, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 21%, and roughly 23% of residents are in poverty. Sgt William G Harrell Middle School is one of 364 public schools in the county.
The closest public school, Taylor Elementary School, is about 1.4 miles from Sgt William G Harrell Middle School. Other public schools within five miles: at least 8. Compared with its nearest neighbors, Sgt William G Harrell Middle School ranks 4th of 5 on average proficiency.
Sgt William G Harrell Middle School is coded as Rural: Fringe in federal locale data.
The school enrolled 390 students in 2024-25, 148 fewer than the 538 it had in 2020-21.
Conversations here can range across school safety, transportation, and start times. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.
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 MERCEDES ISD
- Mercedes High SchoolHigh · 903 students
- Sgt Manuel Chacon Middle SchoolMiddle · 518 students
- Travis Elementary SchoolElementary · 478 students
- Ruben Hinojosa Elementary SchoolElementary · 468 students
- Taylor Elementary SchoolElementary · 406 students
- John F Kennedy Elementary SchoolElementary · 399 students
Other schools in MERCEDES
- Mercedes High SchoolHigh · 903 students
- South Texas ISD Science AcademyHigh · 840 students
- South Texas ISD Health ProfessionsHigh · 781 students
- Sgt Manuel Chacon Middle SchoolMiddle · 518 students
- Travis Elementary SchoolElementary · 478 students
- Ruben Hinojosa Elementary SchoolElementary · 468 students
Nearby schools
- Taylor Elementary School1.4 mi · 406
- John F Kennedy Elementary School1.8 mi · 399
- Triumph Public High Schools-Mercedes2.0 mi · 109
- South Texas ISD Science Academy2.3 mi · 840
- Mercedes Early College Academy2.3 mi · 355
- Mercedes Early Literacy Program2.3 mi · 189
Frequently asked questions
About Sgt William G Harrell Middle SchoolHow large is Sgt William G Harrell Middle School?
Sgt William G Harrell Middle School enrolls approximately 390 students in grades 06-08.
What age range does Sgt William G Harrell Middle School serve?
Sgt William G Harrell Middle School serves students from grade 06 through grade 08.
How many students per teacher at Sgt William G Harrell Middle School?
Approximately 12.5:1 students per teacher at Sgt William G Harrell Middle School.
What is the racial breakdown of students at Sgt William G Harrell Middle School?
At Sgt William G Harrell Middle School, the student body is approximately 3% White, 97% Hispanic, 0% Black.
Is Sgt William G Harrell Middle School public or private?
Sgt William G Harrell Middle School is a public K-12 school, overseen by MERCEDES ISD.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.