Of the 336 students at Villa Nueva Elementary School in Brownsville, 282 (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, Villa Nueva Elementary School’s student population was made up of 336 students, of which 332 were Hispanic and four white students.
Data shows that 16% of Villa Nueva Elementary School’s Hispanic students (53) 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 314 Villa Nueva Elementary School students – equivalent to 87% 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 3% decrease 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Aiken Elementary School | 532 | 22% |
| Benavides Elementary School | 866 | 35% |
| Besteiro Middle School | 549 | 18% |
| Breeden Elementary School | 563 | 20% |
| Brite Elementary School | 535 | 18% |
| Brownsville Early College High School | 338 | 38% |
| Burns Elementary School | 640 | 25% |
| Canales Elementary School | 640 | 7% |
| Castaneda Elementary School | 472 | 17% |
| Champion Elementary School | 668 | 17% |
| Cromack Elementary School | 455 | 8% |
| Del Castillo Elementary School | 239 | 9% |
| Egly Elementary School | 532 | 14% |
| Elementary Jardin Elementary School | 399 | 13% |
| Faulk Middle School | 882 | 16% |
| Gallegos Elementary School | 394 | 15% |
| Garcia Middle School | 847 | 18% |
| Garden Park Elementary School | 390 | 16% |
| Garza Elementary School | 262 | 10% |
| Gonzalez Elementary School | 641 | 24% |
| Hanna Early College High School | 2,277 | 13% |
| Hudson Elementary School | 699 | 26% |
| Keller Elementary School | 514 | 19% |
| Lopez Early College High School | 1,771 | 11% |
| Lucio Middle School | 653 | 17% |
| Manzano Middle School | 850 | 24% |
| Martin Elementary School | 414 | 19% |
| Morningside Elementary School | 374 | 17% |
| Oliveira Middle School | 739 | 13% |
| Ortiz Elementary School | 532 | 40% |
| Pace Early College High School | 1,629 | 16% |
| Palm Grove Elementary School | 302 | 8% |
| Paredes Elementary School | 776 | 29% |
| Pena Elementary School | 471 | 22% |
| Perez Elementary School | 615 | 19% |
| Perkins Middle School | 494 | 15% |
| Porter Early College High School | 1,683 | 13% |
| Pullam Elementary School | 905 | 35% |
| Putegnat Elementary School | 447 | 13% |
| Rivera Early College High School | 2,185 | 10% |
| Russell Elementary School | 476 | 17% |
| Sharp Elementary School | 464 | 21% |
| Skinner Elementary School | 348 | 12% |
| Southmost Elementary School | 345 | 16% |
| Stell Middle School | 732 | 15% |
| Stillman Middle School | 1,047 | 25% |
| Vela Middle School | 601 | 25% |
| Vermillion Road Elementary School | 643 | 22% |
| Veterans Memorial Early College High School | 2,294 | 21% |
| Villa Nueva Elementary School | 336 | 16% |
| Yturria Elementary School | 547 | 22% |
Source: Texas Education Agency.
