SOUTH PALM GARDENS H S

Located at 2607 CAMINO REAL VIEJO, in MERCEDES, Texas, SOUTH PALM GARDENS H S is an one-room-style senior high that enrolls 72 students (grades 9 through 12), run under WESLACO ISD. That puts it 91% smaller than the typical public school in Texas, which averages around 796 students.

WESLACO ISD runs 20 schools in total, collectively educating 16,300 students. SOUTH PALM GARDENS H S is one of those campuses.

Demographically, SOUTH PALM GARDENS H S records that 99% of students identify as Hispanic, making the school strongly Hispanic-majority.

In terms of school funding signals, SOUTH PALM GARDENS H S logs 5 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 14.8:1. The state averages about 15.1:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. Around 93% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. Set against Hidalgo County (around 85%), the school's rate is north of typical.

In the area at large, Hidalgo County reports that the typical household earns roughly $54,338 per year, roughly 21% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 23%. In all, Hidalgo County runs 364 public schools (combined enrollment of about 212,859 students), of which SOUTH PALM GARDENS H S is one.

Nearest neighbor: SOUTH TEXAS ISD VIRTUAL ACADEMY, around 0.8 miles off. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

The school occupies a small-town site.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count climbed 14%: 63 students in 2018 compared to 72 in 2025. Class-load math has widened: from 9.4:1 in 2018 to 14.8:1 in 2025.

On the community side, recent activity here tends to focus on sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.