Enrollment
524
Elementary
DISTRICT 534 · STATE 519
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·BROWNSVILLE ISD·NCES 481168006518
Garza at Southmost Elementary School
5245 SOUTHMOST RD, BROWNSVILLE, TX 78521 · (956) 548-8870 · Cameron County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY12-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL524 STUDENTS
B
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 61% of Texas public elementary schools
- BTest 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.
- FThree-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
14.3:1
37 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 15.5:1 · STATE 15.1:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
94%
490 students
DISTRICT 91% · STATE 65%
Community
0
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 | 76 | 15% |
| Kindergarten | 73 | 14% |
| Grade 1 | 89 | 17% |
| Grade 2 | 76 | 15% |
| Grade 3 | 78 | 15% |
| Grade 4 | 70 | 13% |
| Grade 5 | 62 | 12% |
This year's kindergarten class (73) is 18% larger than its 5th grade class (62).
Student demographics
4%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 3% · 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
QUIET COMMUNITY
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START A DISCUSSIONTest scores
STAAR 2025-26 . % Meets Grade Level or AboveReading
49.0%
TX avg 54.5% . +32.0pp since 2020
Mathematics
45.0%
TX avg 45.3% . +36.0pp since 2020
What this means: On the STAAR, Texas's statewide test, about 49 of every 100 students at this school read at grade level and about 45 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Texas schools, those numbers are about 55 and 45. Reading scores are up about 32 points since 2020, while math scores are up about 36 points.
Performance levels, 2025-26
| Subject | Masters Grade Level | Meets Grade Level | Approaches Grade Level | Did Not Meet Grade Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 18.0% | 31.0% | 26.0% | 25.0% |
| Mathematics | 15.0% | 30.0% | 23.0% | 32.0% |
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 | 49.0% | 45.0% |
| 2024-25 | 48.0% | 47.0% |
| 2023-24 | 52.0% | 51.0% |
| 2022-23 | 55.0% | 66.0% |
| 2021-22 | 70.0% | 52.0% |
| 2020-21 | 17.0% | 9.0% |
% 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
45.2%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
33.8%
based on TX schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+11.4pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 45% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 34% 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 Garza at Southmost Elementary School
Garza at Southmost Elementary School's state test result (45.2% proficient) is higher than 3 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garza at Southmost Elementary School this school | 524 | 93.5% | 45.2% |
| Roel A & Celia R Saenz Elementary School ROMA | 526 | 93.2% | 82.3% |
| Hargill Elementary School HARGILL | 520 | 94.0% | 36.8% |
| Egly Elementary School BROWNSVILLE | 520 | 92.9% | 42.3% |
| Wilbur E Lucas Elementary School PHARR | 530 | 93.0% | 56.8% |
| Monte Cristo Elementary School EDINBURG | 535 | 92.9% | 39.6% |
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 Garza at Southmost Elementary School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Texas | In Cameron County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 45.2% | #1,937 of 4,401 | #46 of 93 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 45.0% | #2,245 of 4,466 ▼ 347 | #68 of 93 ▼ 15 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 49.0% | #2,605 of 4,466 ▲ 75 | #65 of 93 ▲ 5 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest drop first | -13.5pp | #198 of 3,998 | #1 of 93 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 524 | #2,302 of 4,938 | #38 of 95 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 14.3:1 | #1,761 of 4,622 | #17 of 93 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 3.8% | #4,383 of 4,628 | #62 of 93 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 93.5% | #687 of 4,789 | #33 of 94 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +32.3% | #230 of 1,307 | #4 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
524
+191 (+57%) vs 2020
-8% since 1990-91, when it was 567
Student : Teacher
14.3:1
was 12.3:1
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 | 524 | 36.7 | 14.3:1 | 94% (490) |
| 2023-24 | 345 | 23.5 | 14.7:1 | 93% (321) |
| 2022-23 | 339 | 23.5 | 14.4:1 | 92% (312) |
| 2020-21 | 333 | 27 | 12.3:1 | 95% (318) |
| 2017-18 | 396 | 30.1 | 13.2:1 | 98% (390) |
| 2015-16 | 462 | 31 | 14.9:1 | 94% (435) |
| 2010-11 | 603 | 37 | 16.3:1 | 0% (0) |
| 2000-01 | 743 | 42 | 17.7:1 | 2% (14) |
| 1990-91 | 567 | 57 | 9.9:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Garza at Southmost Elementary School.
Since 2017-18: students up 32% (396 to 524); teachers up 22% (30.1 to 36.7).
About Garza at Southmost Elementary School
Garza at Southmost Elementary School is a medium-sized elementary school located in BROWNSVILLE, Texas. The school counts 524 students across pre-K through 5.
Garza at Southmost Elementary School belongs to BROWNSVILLE ISD, a district of 52 schools and 37,097 students.
The student body at Garza at Southmost Elementary School is 98% Hispanic. County-wide, 89% of Cameron County residents are Hispanic. Pick two students at random and there is a 4% chance they belong to different racial or ethnic groups; that figure is the school's diversity index.
The school's student-to-teacher ratio is about 14.3:1, with 36.7 full-time-equivalent teachers. That is 0.8 students per teacher below the 15.1:1 average for elementary schools in Texas. Students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch make up 94% of enrollment. On average, public schools in Cameron County report 84%.
Measured against Texas public elementary schools, Garza at Southmost Elementary 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.
Garza at Southmost Elementary School's average proficiency rate on state tests of 45.2% is 11.4 points above the 33.8% the model predicts from its lunch-eligibility share.
Across Cameron County, the median household income is $52,601, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 22%, and about 21% of people live in poverty. In all, Cameron County has 187 public schools and roughly 97,392 students.
Garza Elementary School is located about 0.7 miles from Garza at Southmost Elementary School. The five-mile area around Garza at Southmost Elementary School holds at least 8 other public schools. The school's 45.2% average proficiency ranks 5th among 9 nearby schools.
The school's locale code, City: Mid-size, means it is inside a principal city with a population between 100,000 and 250,000.
Between 2020-21 and 2024-25, reported enrollment went from 333 to 524. Such a large difference may reflect a change in the grades served. By 2024-25, the school had 14.3 students per teacher, compared with 12.3 in 2020-21.
The allk12 site hosts a discussion page for Garza at Southmost Elementary School covering things like sports schedules, lunch menus, and spirit week. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.
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 BROWNSVILLE ISD
- Veterans Memorial Early College High SchoolHigh · 2,216 students
- Rivera Early College High SchoolHigh · 2,150 students
- Hanna Early College High SchoolHigh · 2,039 students
- Lopez Early College High SchoolHigh · 1,739 students
- Pace Early College High SchoolHigh · 1,621 students
- Porter Early College High SchoolHigh · 1,543 students
Other schools in BROWNSVILLE
- Veterans Memorial Early College High SchoolHigh · 2,216 students
- Rivera Early College High SchoolHigh · 2,150 students
- Hanna Early College High SchoolHigh · 2,039 students
- Lopez Early College High SchoolHigh · 1,739 students
- Pace Early College High SchoolHigh · 1,621 students
- Porter Early College High SchoolHigh · 1,543 students
Nearby schools
- Garza Elementary School0.7 mi · 262
- Del Castillo - Morningside Elementary School0.8 mi · 526
- Besteiro Middle School1.0 mi · 558
- IDEA Frontier College Preparatory1.0 mi · 781
- IDEA Frontier Academy1.0 mi · 675
- Aiken Elementary School1.1 mi · 630
Frequently asked questions
About Garza at Southmost Elementary SchoolHow many students attend Garza at Southmost Elementary School?
Garza at Southmost Elementary School enrolls approximately 524 students in grades PK-05.
Is Garza at Southmost Elementary School an elementary, middle, or high school?
Garza at Southmost Elementary School is an elementary school covering grades PK-05.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Garza at Southmost Elementary School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Garza at Southmost Elementary School is approximately 14.3:1 (37 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at Garza at Southmost Elementary School?
At Garza at Southmost Elementary School, the student body is approximately 2% White, 98% Hispanic, 0% Black.
What district is Garza at Southmost Elementary School in?
Garza at Southmost Elementary School is part of BROWNSVILLE ISD.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.