VANGUARD PICASSO

Set in PHARR, Texas, VANGUARD PICASSO is an average-sized primary school, part of VANGUARD ACADEMY. It caters to 572 students across grades pre-K through 5.

Across the 6 schools in VANGUARD ACADEMY (6,814 students total), VANGUARD PICASSO accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

On demographics, VANGUARD PICASSO reports that the student body is overwhelmingly Hispanic (98%).

In terms of school funding signals, Staff filings list 36 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 15.7:1 students per teacher. The state averages about 15.1:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. About 91% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

After controlling for student poverty, VANGUARD PICASSO sits in the top 10% of Texas schools after the BeatsExpectations adjustment. Predicted proficiency for the school's FRL share is roughly 34.0%; actual is 51.7%, +17.7 points clear of the demographic baseline.

In the surrounding community, Hidalgo County reports that median household earnings sit near $54,338, about 21% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, 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 VANGUARD PICASSO is one.

KELLY-PHARR EL is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.3 miles from this campus. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 7 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), VANGUARD PICASSO ranks 5th on composite proficiency, below the local average of 59.3%.

VANGUARD PICASSO operates from a downtown location. VANGUARD PICASSO operates as a public charter school, meaning it is publicly funded but governed independently of the surrounding district's traditional schools.

Looking at the recent track record. VANGUARD PICASSO's enrollment has showed little movement since 2018, when it stood at 564 (now 572). Class-load math has narrowed: from 18.1:1 in 2018 to 15.7:1 in 2025.

On the community side, recent activity here tends to focus on fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.