Of the 626 students at Olivero Garza Sr. Elementary School in Mission, 519 (83%) 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, Olivero Garza Sr. Elementary School’s student population was made up of 626 students, of which 602 were Hispanic, 16 white, and five African American students.
Data shows that 20% of Olivero Garza Sr. Elementary School’s African American students (1), 16.9% of its Hispanic students (102) and 6.3% 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 504 Olivero Garza Sr. Elementary School students – equivalent to 86% of the student population – were not on the academic path to college eligibility. This contrasts with 2023-24, when the percentage stood at 83%, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| B. L. Gray Junior High School | 743 | 33% |
| Donna Wernecke Elementary School | 672 | 23% |
| Harry Shimotsu Elementary School | 598 | 34% |
| Jessie L. Jensen Elementary School | 566 | 17% |
| John High Shary Elementary School | 643 | 17% |
| Lloyd & Dolly Bentsen Elementary School | 603 | 24% |
| Olivero Garza Sr. Elementary School | 626 | 17% |
| Romulo D. Martinez Elementary School | 535 | 29% |
| Ruben Hinojosa Elementary School | 462 | 35% |
| Sharyland Advanced Academic Academy | 480 | 35% |
| Sharyland High School | 1,541 | 23% |
| Sharyland North Junior High School | 772 | 29% |
| Sharyland Pioneer High School | 1,492 | 18% |
Source: Texas Education Agency.
