Of the 592 students at Idea Sports Park Academy in Brownsville, 497 (84%) weren’t on track for college in the 2023-24 school year, according to East RGV News’ analysis of STAAR scores from the Texas Education Agency (TEA).
The TEA considers students to be on track for college if they demonstrate mastery of the course content through the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR). Students who meet, but do not master their grade level are “prepared to progress to the next grade,” but not yet on college track.
In the 2023-24 school year, Idea Sports Park Academy’s student population was made up of 592 students, of which 545 were Hispanic, 40 white, and four Asian students.
Data shows that 25% of Idea Sports Park Academy’s Asian students (1), 20% of its white students (8) and 16% of its Hispanic students (87) had “mastered” their grade level that year and were “on track for college and career readiness,” as measured by state academic standards.
In the 2022-23 school year, the TEA noted that 399 Idea Sports Park Academy students – equivalent to 83% of the student population – were not on the academic path to college eligibility. This contrasts with 2023-24, when the percentage stood at 84%, marking a 1% increase from the previous year.
A recent study by WalletHub classified Texas as one of the least-educated states in the U.S., ranking it 41st out of 50 in educational quality and student outcomes.
Underfunding is a frequently cited challenge facing the state’s school district. According to a 2024 report from the Texas Education Agency, per-pupil funding has not increased since 2019, despite inflation rates rising by more than 20% since then.
“As a result, many districts in our very own Central Texas region are being forced to cut back on essential programs, services, consider school closures, and adopt deficit budgets just to provide students with the education that they deserve,” Hutto ISD Trustee James Matlock stated in an interview.
| School | Total Students | % On College Track |
|---|---|---|
| IDEA Amber Creek Academy | 434 | 13% |
| Idea Academy | 767 | 14% |
| Idea Academy Alamo | 704 | 11% |
| Idea Academy Mission | 684 | 19% |
| Idea Academy Pharr | 758 | 16% |
| Idea Academy San Benito | 693 | 25% |
| Idea Academy San Juan | 717 | 15% |
| Idea Academy Weslaco | 685 | 11% |
| Idea Achieve Academy | 634 | 8% |
| Idea Achieve College Preparatory | 465 | 19% |
| Idea Amber Creek College Preparatory | 127 | 21% |
| Idea Bluff Springs Academy | 597 | 17% |
| Idea Bluff Springs College Preparatory | 731 | 11% |
| Idea Brackenridge Academy | 657 | 11% |
| Idea Brackenridge College Preparatory | 659 | 14% |
| Idea Brownsville Academy | 694 | 17% |
| Idea Brownsville College Preparatory | 689 | 26% |
| Idea Burke Academy | 720 | 25% |
| Idea Burke College Preparatory | 478 | 18% |
| Idea Carver Academy | 528 | 20% |
| Idea Carver College Preparatory | 642 | 27% |
| Idea College Prep | 785 | 15% |
| Idea College Prep Weslaco | 756 | 13% |
| Idea College Preparatory Alamo | 763 | 17% |
| Idea College Preparatory Mission | 772 | 14% |
| Idea College Preparatory Pharr | 863 | 18% |
| Idea College Preparatory San Benito | 782 | 25% |
| Idea College Preparatory San Juan | 736 | 14% |
| Idea Converse Academy | 655 | 15% |
| Idea Converse College Preparatory | 386 | 9% |
| Idea Eastside Academy | 427 | 11% |
| Idea Eastside College Preparatory | 548 | 11% |
| Idea Edgecliff Academy | 721 | 12% |
| Idea Edgecliff College Preparatory | 488 | 23% |
| Idea Edgemere Academy | 878 | 29% |
| Idea Edgemere College Preparatory | 592 | 24% |
| Idea Edinburg Academy | 722 | 18% |
| Idea Edinburg College Preparatory | 779 | 20% |
| Idea Elsa Academy | 722 | 21% |
| Idea Elsa College Preparatory | 632 | 16% |
| Idea Ewing Halsell Academy | 699 | 14% |
| Idea Ewing Halsell College Preparatory | 573 | 17% |
| Idea Frontier Academy | 688 | 25% |
| Idea Frontier College Preparatory | 754 | 22% |
| Idea Hardy Academy | 713 | 5% |
| Idea Hardy College Preparatory | 512 | 7% |
| Idea Harlingen Academy | 636 | 16% |
| Idea Harlingen College Preparatory | 350 | 18% |
| Idea Health Professions Academy | 265 | 5% |
| Idea Health Professions College Preparatory | 298 | 20% |
| Idea Hidden Meadow Academy | 540 | 21% |
| Idea Hidden Meadow College Preparatory | 268 | 17% |
| Idea Horizon Vista Academy | 775 | 14% |
| Idea Horizon Vista College Preparatory | 345 | 17% |
| Idea Ingram Hills Academy | 665 | 20% |
| Idea Ingram Hills College Preparatory | 502 | 17% |
| Idea Judson Academy | 721 | 30% |
| Idea Judson College Preparatory | 749 | 19% |
| Idea Kyle Academy | 674 | 13% |
| Idea Kyle College Preparatory | 630 | 22% |
| Idea La Joya Academy | 548 | 11% |
| Idea La Joya College Preparatory | 243 | 14% |
| Idea Lake Houston Academy | 705 | 13% |
| Idea Lake Houston College Preparatory | 389 | 19% |
| Idea Los Encinos Academy | 769 | 20% |
| Idea Los Encinos College Preparatory | 640 | 24% |
| Idea Mays Academy | 693 | 23% |
| Idea Mays College Preparatory | 748 | 24% |
| Idea McAllen Academy | 772 | 21% |
| Idea McAllen College Preparatory | 807 | 27% |
| Idea Mesa Hills Academy | 721 | 16% |
| Idea Mesa Hills College Preparatory | 423 | 16% |
| Idea Mesquite Hills Academy | 590 | 18% |
| Idea Mesquite Hills College Preparatory | 295 | 18% |
| Idea Monterrey Park Academy | 587 | 12% |
| Idea Monterrey Park College Preparatory | 682 | 21% |
| Idea Montopolis Academy | 679 | 14% |
| Idea Montopolis College Preparatory | 753 | 13% |
| Idea Najim Academy | 602 | 8% |
| Idea Najim College Preparatory | 441 | 15% |
| Idea North Mission Academy | 806 | 21% |
| Idea North Mission College Preparatory | 735 | 20% |
| Idea Owassa Academy | 708 | 22% |
| Idea Owassa College Preparatory | 636 | 21% |
| Idea Palmview Academy | 688 | 8% |
| Idea Palmview College Preparatory | 320 | 17% |
| Idea Parmer Park Academy | 658 | 13% |
| Idea Parmer Park College Preparatory | 550 | 15% |
| Idea Pflugerville Academy | 660 | 21% |
| Idea Pflugerville College Preparatory | 583 | 15% |
| Idea Quest Academy | 671 | 25% |
| Idea Quest College Preparatory | 678 | 34% |
| Idea Rio Grande City Academy | 733 | 20% |
| Idea Rio Grande City College Preparatory | 661 | 20% |
| Idea Rio Vista Academy | 733 | 11% |
| Idea Rio Vista College Preparatory | 508 | 12% |
| Idea Rise Academy | 710 | 14% |
| Idea Rise College Preparatory | 561 | 21% |
| Idea Riverview Academy | 738 | 27% |
| Idea Riverview College Preparatory | 800 | 27% |
| Idea Robindale Academy | 701 | 18% |
| Idea Robindale College Preparatory | 571 | 16% |
| Idea Round Rock Tech Academy | 714 | 26% |
| Idea Round Rock Tech College Preparatory | 433 | 30% |
| Idea Rundberg Academy | 682 | 13% |
| Idea Rundberg College Preparatory | 764 | 24% |
| Idea South Flores Academy | 712 | 12% |
| Idea South Flores College Preparatory | 740 | 19% |
| Idea Southeast Academy | 626 | 7% |
| Idea Southeast College Preparatory | 365 | 11% |
| Idea Spears Academy | 750 | 8% |
| Idea Spears College Preparatory | 521 | 10% |
| Idea Sports Park Academy | 592 | 16% |
| Idea Sports Park College Preparatory | 408 | 13% |
| Idea Toros College Preparatory | 285 | 10% |
| Idea Tres Lagos Academy | 694 | 22% |
| Idea Tres Lagos College Preparatory | 644 | 25% |
| Idea Walzem Academy | 643 | 16% |
| Idea Walzem College Preparatory | 748 | 20% |
| Idea Weslaco Pike Academy | 733 | 19% |
| Idea Weslaco Pike College Preparatory | 749 | 22% |
| Idea Yukon Academy | 717 | 13% |
| Idea Yukon College Preparatory | 376 | 22% |
Source: Texas Education Agency.
