Hidalgo County schools enrolled 185,636 students classified as economically disadvantaged during the 2023-24 school year, according to the Texas Education Agency.
Of the 213,991 students enrolled in Hidalgo County schools, 86.7% were considered economically disadvantaged. This is less than 0.1 decrease from the previous school year.
Hidalgo County enrolled the fifth highest number of students identified as economically disadvantaged among Texas counties.
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 Texas’ school districts. 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 | Number of Economically Disadvantaged Students | Total Number of Students |
|---|---|---|
| La Joya High School | 2,592 | 2,624 |
| Economedes High School | 2,533 | 2,707 |
| Psja Early College High School | 2,208 | 2,360 |
| Edinburg North High School | 2,201 | 2,635 |
| La Joya Palmview High School | 2,122 | 2,153 |
| Psja North Early College High School | 2,049 | 2,229 |
| Weslaco High School | 2,010 | 2,707 |
| Mission High School | 1,999 | 2,209 |
| Edinburg High School | 1,992 | 2,352 |
| Juarez-Lincoln High School | 1,964 | 1,974 |
| Donna North High School | 1,953 | 1,996 |
| Donna High School | 1,897 | 2,075 |
| Psja Memorial Early College High School | 1,877 | 1,946 |
| Vanguard Rembrandt | 1,806 | 1,965 |
| Weslaco East High School | 1,759 | 2,122 |
| Vanguard Beethoven | 1,538 | 1,714 |
| Psja Southwest Early College High School | 1,538 | 1,597 |
| Veterans Memorial High School | 1,454 | 1,817 |
| Robert R. Vela High School | 1,435 | 2,192 |
| Rowe High School | 1,422 | 1,910 |
| Memorial High School | 1,407 | 2,060 |
| McAllen High School | 1,389 | 2,152 |
| Betty Harwell Middle School | 1,291 | 1,330 |
| Edcouch-Elsa High School | 1,261 | 1,329 |
| Valley View High School | 1,198 | 1,320 |
| Vanguard Mozart | 1,139 | 1,209 |
| Memorial Middle School | 976 | 1,075 |
| Hidalgo Early College High School | 959 | 1,074 |
| Sharyland Pioneer High School | 942 | 1,492 |
| Sharyland High School | 929 | 1,542 |
| Francisco Barrientes Middle School | 924 | 1,113 |
| Dr. R. E. Margo Elementary School | 921 | 1,058 |
| Mary Hoge Middle School | 868 | 925 |
| Vanguard Van Gogh | 865 | 959 |
| Lyndon B. Johnson Middle School | 862 | 971 |
| Veterans Middle School | 845 | 870 |
| B. L. Garza Middle School | 836 | 1,046 |
| Mercedes High School | 817 | 895 |
| Idea College Preparatory Pharr | 813 | 863 |
| South Middle School | 812 | 1,235 |
| Cleckler/Heald Elementary School | 790 | 944 |
| Liberty Middle School | 778 | 795 |
| Memorial Elementary School | 767 | 1,118 |
| White Junior High School | 766 | 867 |
| Austin Middle School | 763 | 871 |
| Alton Memorial Junior High School | 762 | 828 |
| Dr. William Long Elementary School | 762 | 797 |
| Central Middle School | 755 | 1,085 |
| Idea North Mission Academy | 753 | 806 |
| Idea Academy | 750 | 767 |
