Michael E Fossum Middle School
Public middle school in McAllen, Texas · McAllen ISD · Grades 6–8
Michael E Fossum Middle School serves 791 students in grades 6–8 in McAllen (Hidalgo County). It is one of 30 schools in McAllen ISD. By enrollment it is the 572nd largest of 1,719 public middle schools in Texas (median 639 students). With 14.7 students per full-time teacher, it has about the same as 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 ÷ 53.91 full-time-equivalent teachers.
McAllen ISD calendar 2026–2027
Michael E Fossum Middle School follows the district calendar. First day Mon, Aug 17. Spring break Mon, Mar 15 – Fri, Mar 19. Last day Wed, Jun 2.
School facts
| School type | Regular School |
| Level | Middle |
| Grades | 6–8 |
| District | McAllen ISD |
| County | Hidalgo County |
| Area type | City, midsize |
| School meals | Free meals for every student (Community Eligibility Provision) |
| NCES school ID | 482967011515 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 directory and school characteristics; area type from NCES EDGE locale codes.
Compared with the district and Texas
| This school | McAllen ISD | Texas middle schools (median) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 791 | 19,890 | 639 |
| Students per teacher | 14.7 | 13.9 | 14.4 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligible | 60.2% | 70% | 65.6% |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. District figures add up its schools. 54% 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.
Michael E Fossum Middle School in context
Size
Of the 6 middle schools in McAllen ISD, Michael E Fossum Middle School is the 3rd largest, with 4% of the district's students. Its 8 closest middle schools sit a median 3.6 miles away with a median enrollment of 797; Michael E Fossum 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 7 with 299 students, and its smallest is grade 6 with 237, against an average of 264 per grade. Its first and last grades are close in size: 237 in grade 6 and 255 in grade 8.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership by grade.
Students
The largest group is Hispanic students: 95.8% here and 93.8% across McAllen ISD. Students from 6 of the 7 race and ethnicity groups NCES reports are enrolled.
60.2% of its students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, against 70% across McAllen 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 53.91 full-time-equivalent teachers for 791 students, Michael E Fossum Middle School has 14.7 students per teacher. At the median Texas middle school ratio of 14.4, a school with 791 students would have about 54.9 teachers, so Michael E Fossum Middle School has 1 fewer.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Expected teachers = this school's students ÷ the median students per teacher of Texas middle schools (14.4).
Location
Michael E Fossum Middle School is inside a principal city of 100,000 to 250,000 people, which NCES calls city, midsize. The nearest other middle school is Morris Middle School, 1.5 miles away in the same district. Within 10 miles there are 30 other middle schools, 9 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 | 95.8% |
| White | 2.4% |
| Black | 0.8% |
| Asian | 0.6% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 0.3% |
| Two or more races | 0.1% |
52.2% of students are girls and 47.8% are boys.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership.
Students by grade
| Grade 6 | 237 |
| Grade 7 | 299 |
| Grade 8 | 255 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership.
Location and contact
7800 N Ware Rd, McAllen, TX 78504
Phone: (956)971-1105
Website: fossum.mcallenisd.org
Locations: NCES EDGE. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Red: Michael E Fossum Middle School. Blue: the nearest middle schools.
Nearby middle schools
| School | District | Distance | Students | Per teacher | Free/reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morris Middle School | McAllen ISD | 1.5 mi | 999 | 14.9 | 45% |
| Sharyland North Junior High School | Sharyland ISD | 1.7 mi | 791 | 16.1 | 69.4% |
| De Leon Middle School | McAllen ISD | 2.0 mi | 664 | 11.9 | 87% |
| Rafael a Cantu Junior High School | Mission CISD | 3.0 mi | 591 | 14.2 | 86.8% |
| Elias Longoria Sr. Middle School | Edinburg CISD | 4.2 mi | 770 | 12.2 | 81.8% |
| B L Garza Middle School | Edinburg CISD | 4.2 mi | 1,035 | 12 | 78.6% |
| South Texas ISD Preparatory Academy | South Texas ISD | 4.5 mi | 802 | 13.9 | 45.4% |
| Cathey Middle School | McAllen ISD | 4.5 mi | 827 | 15.4 | 70% |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Distance in a straight line between NCES EDGE locations.