Of the 818 students at Michael E. Fossum Middle School in Mcallen, 556 (68%) 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, Michael E. Fossum Middle School’s student population was made up of 818 students, of which 785 were Hispanic, 18 white, seven African American, and five Asian students.
Data shows that 60% of Michael E. Fossum Middle School’s Asian students (3), 28.6% of its African American students (2), 27.8% of its white students (5) and 32% of its Hispanic students (251) 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 530 Michael E. Fossum Middle School students – equivalent to 68% of the student population – were not on the academic path to college eligibility. This continued with 2023-24, when the percentage stood at 68%.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Achieve Early College High School | 410 | 38% |
| Alvarez Elementary School | 448 | 19% |
| Blanca E. Sanchez | 480 | 30% |
| Brown Middle School | 583 | 17% |
| Castaneda Elementary School | 439 | 26% |
| Cathey Middle School | 828 | 29% |
| De Leon Middle School | 720 | 21% |
| Dr. Pablo Perez | 542 | 25% |
| Escandon Elementary School | 455 | 23% |
| Fields Elementary School | 455 | 15% |
| Garza Elementary School | 443 | 23% |
| Gonzalez Elementary School | 789 | 45% |
| Houston Elementary School | 361 | 12% |
| Jackson Elementary School | 561 | 20% |
| Lamar Academy | 99 | 12% |
| Lucile Hendricks Elementary School | 415 | 29% |
| McAllen High School | 2,152 | 16% |
| McAuliffe Elementary School | 391 | 20% |
| Memorial High School | 2,060 | 18% |
| Michael E. Fossum Middle School | 818 | 32% |
| Milam Elementary School | 747 | 37% |
| Morris Middle School | 1,036 | 37% |
| Rayburn Elementary School | 510 | 32% |
| Roosevelt Elementary School | 408 | 12% |
| Rowe High School | 1,909 | 19% |
| Seguin Elementary School | 567 | 15% |
| Thigpen-Zavala Elementary School | 493 | 30% |
| Travis Middle School | 486 | 16% |
| Wilson Elementary School | 418 | 9% |
