Of the 595 students at Armando Cuellar Middle School in Weslaco, 517 (87%) weren’t on track for college in the 2023-24 school year, according to West 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, Armando Cuellar Middle School’s student population was made up of 595 students, of which 589 were Hispanic and four white students.
Data shows that 12.9% of Armando Cuellar Middle School’s Hispanic students (76) and 25% of its white students (1) 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 544 Armando Cuellar Middle School students – equivalent to 87% of the student population – were not on the academic path to college eligibility. This continued with 2023-24, when the percentage stood at 87%.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| A. N. Rico Elementary School | 819 | 17% |
| Airport Elementary School | 795 | 17% |
| Armando Cuellar Middle School | 595 | 13% |
| Beatriz G. Garza Middle School | 938 | 18% |
| Central Middle School | 1,085 | 26% |
| Cleckler/Heald Elementary School | 944 | 25% |
| Dr. R. E. Margo Elementary School | 1,058 | 13% |
| Hidalgo County Boot Camp | 10 | 0% |
| Mary Hoge Middle School | 925 | 12% |
| Memorial Elementary School | 1,116 | 34% |
| North Bridge Elementary School | 748 | 14% |
| PFC Mario Ybarra Elementary School | 495 | 14% |
| Raul A. Gonzalez Junior Elementary School | 630 | 21% |
| Rodolfo Rudy Silva Junior Elementary School | 608 | 9% |
| Sam Houston Elementary School | 755 | 20% |
| South Palm Gardens High School | 66 | 12% |
| Weslaco East High School | 2,122 | 8% |
| Weslaco High School | 2,703 | 12% |
Source: Texas Education Agency.
