IDEA Public Schools

Weslaco, Texas · Hidalgo County · Grades Pre-K–12 · Charter

IDEA Public Schools runs 125 schools (62 elementary, 16 middle, 47 high) with 79,430 students. By enrollment it is the 7th largest of 1210 districts in Texas, where the median district has 886 students. NCES classifies its area as city, large.

Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Rank compares the 1210 Texas districts listed on this site.

District at a glance

Schools	125
Students	79,430
Teachers (full-time equivalent)	4,310.6
Students per teacher	18.4 (state 14.9)
Free or reduced-price lunch eligible	82.9% (state 61.6%)
County	Hidalgo County
Area type	City, large
NCES district ID	4800211

Source: NCES CCD 2024-25, totals of the district's schools. Students per teacher = students ÷ full-time-equivalent teachers.

Schools in IDEA Public Schools

School	Level	Grades	Students	Per teacher	Free/reduced lunch
IDEA a W Brown Academy	Elementary	Pre-K–5	481	18.6	92.7%
IDEA a W Brown College Preparatory	Middle	6–8	151	12.5	88.7%
IDEA Academy	Elementary	K–5	744	21.5	97.3%
IDEA Academy Alamo	Elementary	K–5	698	21.9	98.1%
IDEA Academy Mission	Elementary	K–5	664	16.9	93.4%
IDEA Academy Pharr	Elementary	K–5	717	22.8	93.7%
IDEA Academy San Benito	Elementary	K–5	685	19	80.3%
IDEA Academy San Juan	Elementary	K–5	617	18.6	87.8%
IDEA Academy Weslaco	Elementary	K–5	649	22.5	88.6%
IDEA Achieve Academy	Elementary	K–5	585	18.9	82.1%
IDEA Achieve College Preparatory	High	6–11	466	12.7	86.9%
IDEA Ambrose and Freda Robinson Academy	Elementary	K–5	423	21.3	67.4%
IDEA Ambrose and Freda Robinson College Preparator	Middle	6–8	111	11.4	75.7%
IDEA Bluff Springs Academy	Elementary	K–5	521	17	84.1%
IDEA Bluff Springs College Preparatory	High	6–12	689	17.1	85.2%
IDEA Brackenridge Academy	Elementary	K–5	631	24.2	81.9%
IDEA Brackenridge College Preparatory	High	6–12	671	18.2	81.1%
IDEA Brownsville Academy	Elementary	K–5	702	19.7	81.8%
IDEA Brownsville College Preparatory	High	6–12	783	17.2	78.7%
IDEA Burke Academy	Elementary	K–5	730	23.2	59.9%
IDEA Burke College Preparatory	High	6–11	620	16.9	66.5%
IDEA Carver Academy	Elementary	K–5	468	21.1	77.6%
IDEA Carver College Preparatory	High	6–12	661	17.9	75.8%
IDEA College Prep	High	6–12	823	15.5	95.3%
IDEA College Prep Weslaco	High	6–12	728	16.1	84.6%
IDEA College Preparatory Alamo	High	6–12	737	16.6	95.8%
IDEA College Preparatory Mission	High	6–12	798	15.9	91%
IDEA College Preparatory Pharr	High	6–12	848	19	94%
IDEA College Preparatory San Benito	High	6–12	780	16.6	82.4%
IDEA College Preparatory San Juan	High	6–12	741	15.2	89.2%
IDEA Converse Academy	Elementary	K–5	743	23.8	61.9%
IDEA Converse College Preparatory	Middle	6–10	462	15.5	66.2%
IDEA Eastside Academy	Elementary	K–5	392	23.2	97.4%
IDEA Eastside College Preparatory	High	6–12	469	13.3	88.7%
IDEA Edgecliff Academy	Elementary	K–5	708	20.2	78.8%
IDEA Edgecliff College Preparatory	Middle	6–10	604	15.5	78.8%
IDEA Edgemere Academy	Elementary	K–5	788	20.3	63.8%
IDEA Edgemere College Preparatory	High	6–12	619	14.7	59.1%
IDEA Edinburg Academy	Elementary	K–5	728	21.4	86.1%
IDEA Edinburg College Preparatory	High	6–12	795	17	83%
IDEA Elsa Academy	Elementary	K–5	718	21	89.3%
IDEA Elsa College Preparatory	High	6–12	737	16	90.6%
IDEA Ewing Halsell Academy	Elementary	K–5	704	24.2	77.7%
IDEA Ewing Halsell College Preparatory	High	6–12	611	17.4	74%
IDEA Frontier Academy	Elementary	K–5	675	21	92.7%
IDEA Frontier College Preparatory	High	6–12	781	15.6	88.3%
IDEA Hardy Academy	Elementary	K–5	705	23	95%
IDEA Hardy College Preparatory	Middle	6–10	635	18.1	93.2%
IDEA Harlingen Academy	Elementary	K–5	651	21	84.8%
IDEA Harlingen College Preparatory	Middle	6–10	457	13.1	88%
IDEA Health Professions Academy	Elementary	K–5	294	19.7	90.8%
IDEA Health Professions College Preparatory	High	6–11	376	13.2	86.4%
IDEA Hidden Meadow Academy	Elementary	K–5	608	20.4	66.6%
IDEA Hidden Meadow College Preparatory	Middle	6–10	336	15.6	69.3%
IDEA Horizon Vista Academy	Elementary	K–5	742	24.7	79.4%
IDEA Horizon Vista College Preparatory	Middle	6–10	402	12.6	81.3%
IDEA Ingram Hills Academy	Elementary	K–5	588	22.3	86.2%
IDEA Ingram Hills College Preparatory	High	6–12	543	15.8	85.8%
IDEA Judson Academy	Elementary	K–5	701	21.9	73.6%
IDEA Judson College Preparatory	High	6–12	747	16.6	75%
IDEA Kyle Academy	Elementary	K–5	637	23.3	62.5%
IDEA Kyle College Preparatory	High	6–12	681	15.7	63.7%
IDEA La Joya Academy	Elementary	K–5	656	20.5	90.5%
IDEA La Joya College Preparatory	Middle	6–9	344	11.4	91.3%
IDEA Lake Houston Academy	Elementary	K–5	719	23	88.5%
IDEA Lake Houston College Preparatory	Middle	6–9	499	18.9	87.8%
IDEA Los Encinos Academy	Elementary	K–5	770	24.4	87%
IDEA Los Encinos College Preparatory	High	6–11	753	17.7	93.2%
IDEA Mays Academy	Elementary	K–5	663	20	76%
IDEA Mays College Preparatory	High	6–12	748	17.3	70.2%
IDEA McAllen Academy	Elementary	K–5	738	21.4	78.3%
IDEA McAllen College Preparatory	High	6–12	820	16.9	74.8%
IDEA Mesa Hills Academy	Elementary	K–5	643	21.3	79.9%
IDEA Mesa Hills College Preparatory	High	6–11	533	17.9	80.7%
IDEA Mesquite Hills Academy	Elementary	K–5	641	22.2	72.7%
IDEA Mesquite Hills College Preparatory	Middle	6–9	352	14.9	71%
IDEA Monterrey Park Academy	Elementary	K–5	607	24.9	89.6%
IDEA Monterrey Park College Preparatory	High	6–12	743	17.8	83.7%
IDEA Montopolis Academy	Elementary	K–5	694	24.1	88.8%
IDEA Montopolis College Preparatory	High	6–12	835	19.5	88.3%
IDEA Najim Academy	Elementary	K–5	540	22.1	93.5%
IDEA Najim College Preparatory	High	6–12	474	14.5	89.7%
IDEA North Mission Academy	Elementary	K–5	719	20.6	92.5%
IDEA North Mission College Preparatory	High	6–12	756	14.7	92.2%
IDEA Owassa Academy	Elementary	K–5	699	21.1	82%
IDEA Owassa College Preparatory	High	6–12	689	15.5	84.3%
IDEA Palmview Academy	Elementary	K–5	705	21.3	97.9%
IDEA Palmview College Preparatory	Middle	6–10	446	14.6	99.6%
IDEA Parmer Park Academy	Elementary	K–5	621	22	81%
IDEA Parmer Park College Preparatory	High	6–11	624	16.6	77.4%
IDEA Pflugerville Academy	Elementary	K–5	665	20.1	79.2%
IDEA Pflugerville College Preparatory	High	6–12	669	16	77.1%
IDEA Quest Academy	Elementary	K–5	592	18	86.7%
IDEA Quest College Preparatory	High	6–12	667	15.5	80.2%
IDEA Rio Grande City Academy	Elementary	K–5	717	21.2	85.2%
IDEA Rio Grande City College Preparatory	High	6–12	695	15.5	90.1%
IDEA Rio Vista Academy	Elementary	K–5	696	22	86.6%
IDEA Rio Vista College Preparatory	High	6–12	590	15.8	84.4%
IDEA Rise Academy	Elementary	K–5	681	22	88.5%
IDEA Rise College Preparatory	High	6–11	598	13.7	86.8%
IDEA Riverview Academy	Elementary	K–5	714	21.9	94.3%
IDEA Riverview College Preparatory	High	6–12	813	17.7	94.3%
IDEA Robindale Academy	Elementary	K–5	699	21.8	88%
IDEA Robindale College Preparatory	High	6–11	693	16	90.8%
IDEA Round Rock Technical Academy	Elementary	K–5	718	21.4	47.8%
IDEA Round Rock Technical College Preparatory	Middle	6–10	504	15	60.1%
IDEA Rundberg Academy	Elementary	K–5	694	22.4	95.8%
IDEA Rundberg College Preparatory	High	6–12	790	16.5	94.3%
IDEA South Flores Academy	Elementary	K–5	680	24	71.8%
IDEA South Flores College Preparatory	High	6–12	715	15.1	73%
IDEA Southeast Academy	Elementary	K–5	698	24.4	93.1%
IDEA Southeast College Preparatory	Middle	6–9	475	20.2	91.4%
IDEA Spears Academy	Elementary	K–5	728	23.5	90.2%
IDEA Spears College Preparatory	Middle	6–10	617	20.2	94.2%
IDEA Sports Park Academy	Elementary	K–5	571	19.3	92.3%
IDEA Sports Park College Preparatory	High	6–12	457	12.5	92.6%
IDEA Toros College Preparatory	High	8–12	258	14.3	84.5%
IDEA Tres Lagos Academy	Elementary	K–5	695	22.7	80%
IDEA Tres Lagos College Preparatory	High	6–12	685	16.4	80.6%
IDEA Walzem Academy	Elementary	K–5	611	20.8	85.3%
IDEA Walzem College Preparatory	High	6–12	724	16.8	77.1%
IDEA Weslaco Pike Academy	Elementary	K–5	734	21.8	91.8%
IDEA Weslaco Pike College Preparatory	High	6–12	758	14.6	87.1%
IDEA Yukon Academy	Elementary	K–5	736	22	38.3%
IDEA Yukon College Preparatory	Middle	6–9	503	18.1	41%

Source: NCES CCD 2024-25.

Map of IDEA Public Schools schools

Locations: NCES EDGE. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

IDEA Public Schools in context

Size

IDEA Public Schools enrolls 1.4% of Texas' 5,544,769 public school students and is larger than the median district (886 students). Its schools average 635 students, against 626 for a Texas public school. The largest is IDEA College Preparatory Pharr (848) and the smallest is IDEA Ambrose and Freda Robinson College Preparator (111). NCES lists IDEA Public Schools as an independent charter district: a charter school operator that is its own local education agency rather than part of a geographic school district.

Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 enrollment. Share = district students ÷ all students in Texas schools listed here; averages = students ÷ schools.

Grades

Grade 6 is its largest grade, with 7,429 students this year. Grade 12 has 2,906 students and kindergarten has 5,192, 44% fewer in the later grade. Each grade is a different group of students, so this is not a dropout or growth rate. IDEA Public Schools enrolls 59 children in pre-K.

Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership by grade, all schools in the district.

Students

Hispanic students are the largest group in IDEA Public Schools at 85.2%, above their 53.5% share of Texas public school students. Black students make up 7.7%.

82.9% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, against 61.6% statewide. By school, the share runs from 38.3% at IDEA Yukon Academy to 99.6% at IDEA Palmview College Preparatory. All 125 of its schools serve free breakfast and lunch to every student under the Community Eligibility Provision or Provision 2 or 3, with no application.

Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership and school lunch program data. District and state shares weight each school by its enrollment.

Staff

Its 4,310.6 full-time-equivalent teachers work out to 18.4 students per teacher, more than the state's 14.9. With 103.3 counselors it has 769 students per counselor; the median Texas district has 379, and the American School Counselor Association recommends no more than 250. It reports no librarians or media specialists and 55 school psychologists.

Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 district staff file (full-time equivalents). Students per counselor = district students ÷ counselors. Benchmark: American School Counselor Association, 250 students per counselor.

Location

NCES classifies IDEA Public Schools' area as city, large: inside a principal city of 250,000 people or more. The nearest district is Charlotte ISD, 10 miles away with 424 students. 6 districts are within 25 miles, and 0 of them enroll more students than IDEA Public Schools. Hidalgo County has 24 districts on this site.

Source: NCES EDGE locations and locale codes, 2024-25. Distances are straight lines between the average locations of each district's schools.

Staff

Role	Full-time equivalent	Students per staff member
Teachers	3,815.7	21
School counselors	103.3	769
Librarians and media specialists	0	–
School psychologists	55	1,444
Instructional aides	25.7	3,091
Other student support staff	223.4	356
School administrators	241.1	329
District administrators	121.8	652
All staff	8,711.6

Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 district staff file. Students per staff member = district students ÷ full-time-equivalent staff in that role. The median Texas district has 379 students per counselor.

Students by race and ethnicity

Students by race and ethnicity
Hispanic	85.2%
Black	7.7%
White	5.2%
Asian	1.1%
Two or more races	0.5%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander	0.2%
American Indian or Alaska Native	0.1%

Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership, all schools in the district.

Students by grade

Students by grade
Pre-K	59
Kindergarten	5,192
Grade 1	6,330
Grade 2	7,146
Grade 3	7,348
Grade 4	7,352
Grade 5	7,314
Grade 6	7,429
Grade 7	7,145
Grade 8	6,858
Grade 9	5,778
Grade 10	4,860
Grade 11	3,713
Grade 12	2,906

Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership.

Nearby school districts

District	Distance	Students	Per teacher	Calendar 2026–2027
Charlotte ISD	10 mi	424	10.9	–
Jourdanton ISD	15 mi	1,554	14.4	–
Pleasanton ISD	19 mi	3,406	14.5	–
McMullen County ISD	19 mi	280	10.6	–
Poteet ISD	21 mi	1,837	14.7	–
Pearsall ISD	24 mi	1,953	16.7	–
Somerset ISD	32 mi	4,259	15.8	–
Dilley ISD	32 mi	841	10.6	–

Distance between the average locations of each district's schools (NCES EDGE).

Other school districts in Hidalgo County

Edinburg CISD (33,343 students)
Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD (29,613 students)
La Joya ISD (22,942 students)
McAllen ISD (19,890 students)
Weslaco ISD (16,300 students)
Mission CISD (13,765 students)
Donna ISD (12,937 students)
Sharyland ISD (9,844 students)
Premier High Schools (7,948 students)
Vanguard Academy (6,814 students)
South Texas ISD (4,639 students)
Edcouch-Elsa ISD (4,349 students)
Mercedes ISD (4,207 students)
Valley View ISD (3,444 students)
Hidalgo ISD (2,918 students)
Progreso ISD (1,339 students)
Horizon Montessori Public Schools (1,164 students)
Monte Alto ISD (819 students)
La Villa ISD (512 students)
Triumph Public High Schools-Rio Grande Valley (457 students)
Texas Works (446 students)
Brillante Academy (354 students)
Excellence in Leadership Academy (183 students)

Source: NCES CCD 2024-25, county of each district's office.

Contact

2115 W Pike Blvd, Weslaco, TX 78596
Phone: (956)377-8000
Website: ideapublicschools.org

Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 directory.