Thigpen-Zavala Elementary School
Public elementary school in McAllen, Texas · McAllen ISD · Grades Pre-K–5
Thigpen-Zavala Elementary School serves 470 students in grades Pre-K–5 in McAllen (Hidalgo County). It is one of 30 schools in McAllen ISD. By enrollment it is the 2820th largest of 4,726 public elementary schools in Texas (median 516 students). With 14.9 students per full-time teacher, it has about the same as the typical Texas elementary school (14.8).
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Rank and medians compare all 4,726 Texas elementary schools with enrollment listed on this site.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Students per teacher = students ÷ 31.53 full-time-equivalent teachers.
McAllen ISD calendar 2026–2027
Thigpen-Zavala Elementary 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 | Elementary |
| Grades | Pre-K–5 |
| District | McAllen ISD |
| County | Hidalgo County |
| Area type | City, midsize |
| School meals | Free meals for every student (Community Eligibility Provision) |
| NCES school ID | 482967011960 |
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 elementary schools (median) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 470 | 19,890 | 516 |
| Students per teacher | 14.9 | 13.9 | 14.8 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligible | 96.6% | 70% | 72% |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. District figures add up its schools. 51% of Texas elementary schools have fewer students per teacher than this school (share of schools with a lower ratio). State test results aren't published here yet.
Thigpen-Zavala Elementary School in context
Size
Of the 18 elementary schools in McAllen ISD, Thigpen-Zavala Elementary School is the 9th largest, with 2.4% of the district's students. The 8 nearest elementary schools are a median 1.4 miles away and have a median of 461 students, so Thigpen-Zavala Elementary 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 pre-K with 138 students, and its smallest is grade 5 with 51, against an average of 67 per grade. Its first and last grades are close in size: 55 in kindergarten and 51 in grade 5. It also enrolls 138 children in pre-K.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership by grade.
Students
Hispanic students are the largest group, at 98.5% of enrollment, a higher share than across McAllen ISD (93.8%). Students from 5 of the 7 race and ethnicity groups NCES reports are enrolled.
96.6% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, against 70% across McAllen ISD and a median of 72% for Texas elementary 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
Thigpen-Zavala Elementary School has 31.53 full-time-equivalent teachers, or 14.9 students per teacher. At the median Texas elementary school ratio of 14.8, a school with 470 students would have about 31.8 teachers, so Thigpen-Zavala Elementary School has about as many as that.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Expected teachers = this school's students ÷ the median students per teacher of Texas elementary schools (14.8).
Location
NCES classifies its location as city, midsize, which means it is inside a principal city of 100,000 to 250,000 people. The nearest other elementary school is Alvarez Elementary School, 0.9 miles away in the same district. There are 35 elementary schools within 5 miles and 123 within 10 miles.
Source: NCES EDGE school locations and locale codes, 2024-25. Distances are straight lines.
Students by race and ethnicity
| Hispanic | 98.5% |
| Asian | 0.6% |
| White | 0.4% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 0.2% |
| Two or more races | 0.2% |
46.6% of students are girls and 53.4% are boys.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership.
Students by grade
| Pre-K | 138 |
| Kindergarten | 55 |
| Grade 1 | 53 |
| Grade 2 | 56 |
| Grade 3 | 57 |
| Grade 4 | 60 |
| Grade 5 | 51 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership.
Location and contact
2500 Galveston Ave, McAllen, TX 78501
Phone: (956)971-4377
Website: thigpen-zavala.mcallenisd.org
Locations: NCES EDGE. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Red: Thigpen-Zavala Elementary School. Blue: the nearest elementary schools.
Nearby elementary schools
| School | District | Distance | Students | Per teacher | Free/reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alvarez Elementary School | McAllen ISD | 0.9 mi | 435 | 15.8 | 96.8% |
| Escandon Elementary School | McAllen ISD | 0.9 mi | 478 | 14.1 | 93.9% |
| Horizon Montessori - STEM Academy | Horizon Montessori Public Schools | 1.1 mi | 331 | 15.2 | 81.3% |
| Wilson Elementary School | McAllen ISD | 1.3 mi | 408 | 13.8 | 91.2% |
| Fields Elementary School | McAllen ISD | 1.4 mi | 443 | 12.6 | 89.6% |
| IDEA McAllen Academy | IDEA Public Schools | 1.5 mi | 738 | 21.4 | 78.3% |
| Seguin Elementary School | McAllen ISD | 1.8 mi | 530 | 14.5 | 95.8% |
| Romulo D Martinez Elementary School | Sharyland ISD | 2.0 mi | 525 | 15 | 65% |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Distance in a straight line between NCES EDGE locations.