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Parents: what's one thing you'd want the VERNON MIDDLE administration to hear?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
631
Middle
DISTRICT 706 · STATE 643
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·HARLINGEN CISD·NCES 482253002290
Vernon Middle School
125 S 13TH ST, HARLINGEN, TX 78550 · (956) 427-3040 · Cameron County
GRADES 06–08MIDDLE13-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL631 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
10.8:1
59 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 12.2:1 · STATE 14.4:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
87%
546 students
DISTRICT 80% · 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 | 199 | 32% |
| Grade 7 | 221 | 35% |
| Grade 8 | 211 | 33% |
Student demographics
7%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 10% · 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
56.0%
TX avg 54.5% . +32.0pp since 2020
Mathematics
44.0%
TX avg 45.3% . +28.0pp since 2020
What this means: On the STAAR, Texas's statewide test, about 56 of every 100 students at this school read at grade level and about 44 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 28 points.
Performance levels, 2025-26
| Subject | Masters Grade Level | Meets Grade Level | Approaches Grade Level | Did Not Meet Grade Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 28.0% | 28.0% | 23.0% | 21.0% |
| Mathematics | 15.0% | 29.0% | 25.0% | 31.0% |
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 | 56.0% | 44.0% |
| 2024-25 | 55.0% | 38.0% |
| 2023-24 | 55.0% | 29.0% |
| 2022-23 | 43.0% | 27.0% |
| 2021-22 | 36.0% | 24.0% |
| 2020-21 | 24.0% | 16.0% |
% 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
39.4%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
36.7%
based on TX schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+2.7pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 39% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 37% 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 Vernon Middle School
Vernon Middle School's state test result (39.4% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vernon Middle School this school | 631 | 86.5% | 39.4% |
| Rafael A Cantu Junior High School PALMHURST | 591 | 86.8% | 37.4% |
| De Leon Middle School MCALLEN | 664 | 87.0% | 44.6% |
| Cesar Chavez Middle School MISSION | 625 | 87.2% | 43.6% |
| Savannah Heights Intermediate School VON ORMY | 618 | 85.3% | 45.6% |
| Brown Middle School MCALLEN | 580 | 87.2% | 47.3% |
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 Vernon Middle School ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In Texas | In Cameron County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 39.4% | #963 of 1,635 | #18 of 30 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 44.0% | #750 of 1,670 ▲ 207 | #17 of 30 ▲ 1 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 56.0% | #733 of 1,670 ▲ 15 | #14 of 30 ▼ 1 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +15.0pp | #504 of 1,570 | #13 of 29 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 631 | #876 of 1,749 | #17 of 30 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 10.8:1 | #49 of 1,542 | #2 of 28 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 6.8% | #1,424 of 1,543 | #9 of 28 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 86.5% | #355 of 1,648 | #16 of 30 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -4.7% | #792 of 942 | #23 of 23 |
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
631
-127 (-17%) vs 2020
-18% since 1990-91, when it was 765
Student : Teacher
10.8:1
was 13.8:1
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 | 631 | 58.6 | 10.8:1 | 87% (546) |
| 2023-24 | 696 | 57.1 | 12.2:1 | 88% (615) |
| 2022-23 | 715 | 58.1 | 12.3:1 | 90% (641) |
| 2020-21 | 758 | 55 | 13.8:1 | 88% (668) |
| 2017-18 | 662 | 52.5 | 12.6:1 | 87% (576) |
| 2015-16 | 722 | 57 | 12.7:1 | 84% (607) |
| 2010-11 | 732 | 58 | 12.6:1 | 83% (609) |
| 2000-01 | 818 | 58 | 14.1:1 | 84% (690) |
| 1990-91 | 765 | 50 | 15.3:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Vernon Middle School.
Since 2017-18: students down 5% (662 to 631); teachers up 12% (52.5 to 58.6).
About Vernon Middle School
Vernon Middle School is a mid-sized middle-grades school in HARLINGEN CISD, located in HARLINGEN, Texas. The school counted 631 students in 2024-25, covering grades 6 through 8.
HARLINGEN CISD has 17,506 students in 31 schools, and Vernon Middle School is one of those schools.
The share of Hispanic students at Vernon Middle School is 97%. The next largest groups are 3% White. Measured by the diversity index, the student body scores 7%.
The student-to-teacher ratio at Vernon Middle School is 10.8:1, based on 58.6 full-time-equivalent teachers. Statewide, middle schools in Texas average 14.4:1. Lunch program data show 87% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. The figure for public schools in Cameron County is close, at 84%.
Compared with Texas schools that have similar shares of low-income students, Vernon Middle School's results are 2.7 points above predicted: 39.4% against 36.7%.
In Cameron County, where the school is located, median household income comes to about $52,601, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 22%, and about 21% of people live in poverty. There are 187 public schools in the county, enrolling about 97,392, Vernon Middle School among them.
Vernon Middle School's nearest public school is Travis Elementary School (about 0.5 miles). There are at least 8 more public schools inside five miles. Vernon Middle School places 6th of 8 on proficiency among the closest schools that report scores.
Vernon Middle School has an NCES locale of City: Small.
Federal enrollment counts decreased from 758 (2020-21) to 631 (2024-25). Students per teacher dropped from 13.8 in 2020-21 to 10.8 in 2024-25.
The Vernon Middle School discussion page is a place for special education services, counseling, and support programs. Teachers and staff are welcome to share updates too.
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 HARLINGEN CISD
- Harlingen High SchoolHigh · 2,433 students
- Harlingen H S - SouthHigh · 2,019 students
- Dr Abraham P Cano Freshman AcademyCombined · 1,035 students
- Moises Vela Middle SchoolMiddle · 761 students
- Treasure Hills Elementary SchoolElementary · 758 students
- Gutierrez Middle SchoolMiddle · 747 students
Other schools in HARLINGEN
- Harlingen High SchoolHigh · 2,433 students
- Harlingen H S - SouthHigh · 2,019 students
- Dr Abraham P Cano Freshman AcademyCombined · 1,035 students
- Moises Vela Middle SchoolMiddle · 761 students
- Treasure Hills Elementary SchoolElementary · 758 students
- Gutierrez Middle SchoolMiddle · 747 students
Other Vernon Middle schools
5 other US public schools in 5 states are named Vernon Middle. Vernon Middle School is the largest of the 6.
- Vernon Middle SchoolVERNON, TX · 390 students
- Vernon Middle SchoolMarion, IA · 587 students
- Vernon MiddleMontclair, CA · 580 students
- Vernon Middle SchoolLeesville, LA · 372 students
- VERNON MIDDLE SCHOOLVERNON, FL · 259 students
Nearby schools
- Travis Elementary School0.5 mi · 294
- Bonham Elementary School0.7 mi · 504
- Austin Elementary School0.8 mi · 295
- Coakley Middle School0.9 mi · 687
- Houston Elementary School1.1 mi · 420
- Harlingen High School1.1 mi · 2,433
Frequently asked questions
About Vernon Middle SchoolHow many students attend Vernon Middle School?
Vernon Middle School enrolls approximately 631 students in grades 06-08.
Is Vernon Middle School an elementary, middle, or high school?
Vernon Middle School is a middle school covering grades 06-08.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Vernon Middle School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Vernon Middle School is approximately 10.8:1 (59 FTE teachers).
What is the student diversity at Vernon Middle School?
Student demographics at Vernon Middle School are roughly 3% White, 97% Hispanic, 0% Black, 0% Two or more.
Is Vernon Middle School public or private?
Vernon Middle School is a public K-12 school, overseen by HARLINGEN CISD.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.