Dr. Javier Saenz Middle School
Public middle school in Penitas, Texas · La Joya ISD · Grades 6–8
Dr. Javier Saenz Middle School serves 601 students in grades 6–8 in Penitas (Hidalgo County). It is one of 36 schools in La Joya ISD. By enrollment it is the 923rd largest of 1,719 public middle schools in Texas (median 639 students). With 13.2 students per full-time teacher, it has fewer students per teacher than the typical Texas middle school (14.4).
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Rank and medians compare all 1,719 Texas middle schools with enrollment listed on this site.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Students per teacher = students ÷ 45.57 full-time-equivalent teachers.
School facts
| School type | Regular School |
| Level | Middle |
| Grades | 6–8 |
| District | La Joya ISD |
| County | Hidalgo County |
| Area type | Rural, fringe |
| School meals | Free meals for every student (Community Eligibility Provision) |
| NCES school ID | 482613010826 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 directory and school characteristics; area type from NCES EDGE locale codes.
Compared with the district and Texas
| This school | La Joya ISD | Texas middle schools (median) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 601 | 22,942 | 639 |
| Students per teacher | 13.2 | 14.6 | 14.4 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligible | 98.5% | 92.3% | 65.6% |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. District figures add up its schools. 30% of Texas middle schools have fewer students per teacher than this school (share of schools with a lower ratio). State test results aren't published here yet.
Dr. Javier Saenz Middle School in context
Size
Dr. Javier Saenz Middle School is the 5th largest of La Joya ISD's 8 middle schools; its 601 students are 2.6% of district enrollment. Its 8 closest middle schools sit a median 7 miles away with a median enrollment of 585; Dr. Javier Saenz Middle School is close to their typical size.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 enrollment and school type. Share of district students = this school's students ÷ the district's students. Nearest schools by straight-line distance between NCES EDGE locations.
Grades
Its largest grade is grade 8 with 204 students, and its smallest is grade 7 with 194, against an average of 200 per grade. Its first and last grades are close in size: 203 in grade 6 and 204 in grade 8.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership by grade.
Students
All of its students are reported as Hispanic.
98.5% of its students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, against 92.3% across La Joya ISD and a median of 65.6% for Texas middle schools. Under the Community Eligibility Provision, every student can eat breakfast and lunch at no charge, and families fill out no meal application.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership and school lunch program data. District shares weight each school by its enrollment.
Teachers
With 45.57 full-time-equivalent teachers for 601 students, Dr. Javier Saenz Middle School has 13.2 students per teacher. At the median Texas middle school ratio of 14.4, a school with 601 students would have about 41.7 teachers, so Dr. Javier Saenz Middle School has 3.9 more.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Expected teachers = this school's students ÷ the median students per teacher of Texas middle schools (14.4).
Location
Dr. Javier Saenz Middle School is in rural territory within 5 miles of an urbanized area or 2.5 miles of a town, which NCES calls rural, fringe. The nearest other middle school is Lorenzo De Zavala Middle School, 6.1 miles away in the same district. Within 10 miles there are 10 other middle schools, 0 of them within 5 miles.
Source: NCES EDGE school locations and locale codes, 2024-25. Distances are straight lines.
Students by race and ethnicity
| Hispanic | 99.8% |
| White | 0.2% |
50.9% of students are girls and 49.1% are boys.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership.
Students by grade
| Grade 6 | 203 |
| Grade 7 | 194 |
| Grade 8 | 204 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership.
Location and contact
39200 Mile 7 Rd, Penitas, TX 78576
Phone: (956)323-2830
Website: lajoyaisd.com
Locations: NCES EDGE. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Red: Dr. Javier Saenz Middle School. Blue: the nearest middle schools.
Nearby middle schools
| School | District | Distance | Students | Per teacher | Free/reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lorenzo De Zavala Middle School | La Joya ISD | 6.1 mi | 545 | 12.7 | 91% |
| Juan De Dios Salinas Middle School | La Joya ISD | 6.2 mi | 648 | 13.2 | 97.2% |
| IDEA La Joya College Preparatory | IDEA Public Schools | 6.2 mi | 344 | 11.4 | 91.3% |
| Ann Richards Middle School | La Joya ISD | 6.8 mi | 665 | 16.4 | 92.9% |
| Cesar Chavez Middle School | La Joya ISD | 7.2 mi | 625 | 15.4 | 87.2% |
| Domingo Trevino Middle School | La Joya ISD | 7.5 mi | 531 | 12 | 97.4% |
| IDEA Palmview College Preparatory | IDEA Public Schools | 7.9 mi | 446 | 14.6 | 99.6% |
| Alton Memorial Junior High School | Mission CISD | 8.0 mi | 819 | 12.9 | 93.7% |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Distance in a straight line between NCES EDGE locations.