Cantu Elementary

Summary:

Cantu Elementary is a public elementary school in Brownsville, Texas, serving 417 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Mission Consolidated Independent School District, which is ranked 527 out of 968 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating.

Cantu Elementary faces several challenges, including an overwhelmingly Hispanic student population (over 98%), significantly lower test scores compared to district and state averages, and a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (93-94.85%). While the school has a relatively high per-student spending (ranging from $9,425 to $12,551), its statewide ranking has steadily declined over the past several years, suggesting its performance is not keeping pace with other schools in Texas. Compared to nearby schools like Jessie L. Jensen Elementary and Lloyd M. Bentsen Elementary, Cantu Elementary generally underperforms in terms of test scores and student demographics.

To address these issues, the school and district may need to implement targeted interventions, review their resource allocation, and explore best practices from higher-performing schools in the Sharyland Independent School District and La Joya Independent School District, which are located in the same region.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 920 W Main Ave
       Alton, TX  78573


(956) 323-7400

District: Mission Consolidated Independent School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
2397th of 4,675 Texas Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $12,551 Help


Students who attend Cantu Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Alton Memorial J H
High:    Mission Collegiate High School
    Mission High School

Student/teacher ratio:  16.2 Help
Number of students:  466

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
97.0%
White:
2.8%
Two or more races:
0.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  94% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Cantu Elementary ranks worse than 51.3% of elementary schools in Texas. It also ranks 7th among 14 ranked elementary schools in the Mission Consolidated Independent School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 46.3. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (97%), White (2.8%), two or more races (0.2%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 94% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Cantu Elementary is 16.2. 8 elementary schools in the Mission Consolidated Independent School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Cantu Elementary employs 28.7 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Cantu Elementary is $12,551, which is the highest among 15 elementary schools in the Mission Consolidated Independent School District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Cantu Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Cantu Elementary 2397th of 4675 Texas public elementary schools. (See Cantu Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Hispanic students:


Mission Consolidated Independent School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Mission Consolidated Independent School District 527th of 968 Texas school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Cantu Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Cantu Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 39.35 2504th 3465 27.7%
2005 42.87 2348th 3475 32.4%
2006 49.07 2091st 3476 39.8%
2007 44.86 2462nd 3724 33.9%
2008 59.46 1685th 3768 55.3%
2009 62.36 1590th 3884 59.1%
2010 66.77 1347th 3937 65.8%
2011 28.51 3452nd 4095 15.7%
2012 45.34 2569th 4206 38.9%
2013 24.91 3613th 4221 14.4%
2014 36.09 3100th 4260 27.2%
2015 19.00 3810th 4320 11.8%
2016 14.84 3939th 4286 8.1%
2017 43.21 2323rd 4329 46.3%
2018 57.28 1615th 4359 63.0%
2019 55.16 1760th 4479 60.7%
2021 28.70 3251st 4578 29.0%
2022 37.95 2864th 4581 37.5%
2023 48.74 2251st 4647 51.6%
2024 46.30 2397th 4675 48.7%
See the entire list of Texas Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Cantu Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 64.70 847th 3226 73.7%
2019 48.10 1670th 3333 49.9%
2021 29.63 2685th 3446 22.1%
2022 33.31 2587th 3487 25.8%
2023 58.71 1232nd 3556 65.4%
2024 42.09 2059th 3638 43.4%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Cantu Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 47.25 1563rd 3558 56.1%
2019 41.15 1972nd 3684 46.5%
2021 33.91 2489th 3799 34.5%
2022 12.43 3943rd 3952 0.2%
2023 37.74 2483rd 4086 39.2%
2024 33.95 2976th 4261 30.2%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Cantu Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 71.03 822nd 4264 80.7%
2019 68.38 891st 4309 79.3%
2021 34.37 3089th 4451 30.6%
2022 46.70 2377th 4477 46.9%
2023 63.03 1331st 4521 70.6%
2024 54.78 1867th 4560 59.1%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Cantu Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 57.67 1608th 4306 62.7%
2019 56.11 1712th 4348 60.6%
2021 27.25 3371st 4499 25.1%
2022 38.69 2848th 4561 37.6%
2023 49.80 2169th 4588 52.7%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Cantu Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 62.61 1359th 3106 56.2%
2019 77.41 184th 3184 94.2%
2021 40.20 2078th 3006 30.9%
2022 58.80 1471st 2958 50.3%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for At Risk students at Cantu Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 73.96 618th 4240 85.4%
2019 64.33 1076th 4295 74.9%
2021 39.73 2588th 4331 40.2%
2022 50.73 2040th 4461 54.3%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for At Risk Students!

Rank History for Male students at Cantu Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 54.25 1781st 4319 58.8%
2019 54.42 1745th 4357 59.9%
2021 33.87 2912th 4498 35.3%
2022 39.07 2791st 4563 38.8%
2023 47.74 2280th 4585 50.3%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Cantu Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 63.69 1180th 4168 71.7%
2019 60.90 1327th 4188 68.3%
2021 35.29 2899th 4329 33.0%
2022 44.15 2506th 4376 42.7%
2023 56.06 1708th 4401 61.2%
2024 52.11 1967th 4431 55.6%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: Texas Education Agency, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Cantu Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Texas Education Agency

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Enrollment information for Cantu Elementary

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1989 13 0 0 628 1 n/a n/a 0 642
1990 1 1 0 321 0 n/a n/a 0 323
1991 5 2 0 841 0 n/a n/a -67 781
1992 5 0 0 843 0 n/a n/a 0 848
1993 3 0 0 727 0 n/a n/a 0 730
1994 1 0 0 739 0 n/a n/a 0 740
1995 1 0 0 789 0 n/a n/a 0 790
1996 1 0 0 789 0 n/a n/a 0 790
1997 5 0 0 854 0 n/a n/a 0 859
1998 6 0 0 803 0 n/a n/a 0 809
1999 1 0 0 502 1 n/a n/a 0 504
2000 0 0 0 535 0 n/a n/a 0 535
2001 1 0 0 823 0 n/a n/a 0 824
2002 0 0 0 896 0 n/a n/a 0 896
2003 0 0 0 896 0 n/a n/a 0 896
2004 0 2 0 697 0 n/a n/a 0 699
2005 1 0 0 716 0 n/a n/a 0 717
2006 1 0 1 700 0 n/a n/a 0 702
2007 4 0 1 724 0 n/a n/a 0 729
2008 4 0 0 656 0 n/a n/a 0 660
2009 3 2 0 505 0 n/a n/a 0 510
2010 1 0 0 535 0 n/a n/a 0 536
2011 2 0 0 537 0 0 0 0 539
2012 2 0 0 529 0 0 0 0 531
2013 2 0 0 527 0 0 0 0 529
2014 3 0 0 491 0 0 0 0 494
2015 1 0 0 491 1 0 0 0 493
2016 2 0 0 492 1 0 0 0 495
2017 2 0 0 475 1 0 0 0 478
2018 1 0 0 429 0 0 0 0 430
2019 2 0 0 472 0 0 0 0 474
2020 1 0 0 452 0 0 0 0 453
2021 2 0 0 412 0 0 0 0 414
2022 2 0 0 386 0 0 0 0 388
2023 5 0 0 412 0 0 0 0 417
2024 13 0 0 452 0 0 1 0 466

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Cantu Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 642 n/a n/a n/a
1990 323 37.0 8.7 n/a
1991 781 37.3 20.9 n/a
1992 848 49.5 17.1 91.5
1993 730 45.0 16.2 93.2
1994 740 44.9 16.5 91.8
1995 790 52.5 15.0 94.9
1996 790 52.5 15.0 94.9
1997 859 52.0 16.5 95
1998 809 56.8 14.2 94.9
1999 504 36.3 13.9 94.8
2000 535 36.1 14.8 6
2001 824 48.9 16.9 0
2002 896 54.1 16.6 0
2003 896 54.1 16.6 0
2004 699 42.0 16.6 0
2005 717 42.4 16.9 0
2006 702 42.3 16.6 0
2007 729 41.0 17.8 0
2008 660 41.8 15.8 0
2009 510 31.7 16.1 0
2010 536 32.1 16.6 0
2011 539 31.6 17.0 0
2012 531 33.0 16.0 0
2013 529 31.5 16.7 95.3
2014 494 30.8 16.0 94.1
2015 493 37.0 13.3 92.1
2016 495 38.0 13.0 91.7
2017 478 29.8 16.0 91.8
2018 430 29.3 14.6 91.2
2019 474 28.3 16.7 95.1
2020 453 26.1 17.3 90.7
2021 414 28.3 14.5 93
2022 388 23.7 16.3 94.8
2023 417 25.2 16.5 94.2
2024 466 28.7 16.2 94

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Cantu Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 642 n/a n/a n/a
1990 323 37.0 8.7 n/a
1991 781 37.3 20.9 n/a
1992 848 49.5 17.1 91.5
1993 730 45.0 16.2 93.2
1994 740 44.9 16.5 91.8
1995 790 52.5 15.0 94.9
1996 790 52.5 15.0 94.9
1997 859 52.0 16.5 95
1998 809 56.8 14.2 94.9
1999 504 36.3 13.9 94.8
2000 535 36.1 14.8 6
2001 824 48.9 16.9 0
2002 896 54.1 16.6 0
2003 896 54.1 16.6 0
2004 699 42.0 16.6 0
2005 717 42.4 16.9 0
2006 702 42.3 16.6 0
2007 729 41.0 17.8 0
2008 660 41.8 15.8 0
2009 510 31.7 16.1 0
2010 536 32.1 16.6 0
2011 539 31.6 17.0 0
2012 531 33.0 16.0 0
2013 529 31.5 16.7 95.3
2014 494 30.8 16.0 94.1
2015 493 37.0 13.3 92.1
2016 495 38.0 13.0 91.7
2017 478 29.8 16.0 91.8
2018 430 29.3 14.6 91.2
2019 474 28.3 16.7 95.1
2020 453 26.1 17.3 90.7
2021 414 28.3 14.5 93
2022 388 23.7 16.3 94.8
2023 417 25.2 16.5 94.2
2024 466 28.7 16.2 94

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Cantu Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $782 (8.3%) $8,643 (91.7%) $9,425
2020 $684 (6.9%) $9,175 (93.1%) $9,859
2021 $1,114 (8.9%) $11,438 (91.1%) $12,551

Data source: Texas Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Cantu Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 1760th of 4479 Elementary schoolsRanks 2251st of 4647 Elementary schools
 9.1%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Reading (Cantu Elementary)5656
   3rd Grade Reading (Mission Consolidated Independent School District)4151
 10%
   3rd Grade Reading (Texas)4450
 6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Cantu Elementary)3936
 3%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Mission Consolidated Independent School District)4840
 8%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Texas)4843
 5%
3rd Grade Reading (Cantu Elementary)1530
 15%
   3rd Grade Reading (Mission Consolidated Independent School District)3528
 7%
   3rd Grade Reading (Texas)3926
 13%
4th Grade Reading (Cantu Elementary)4937
 12%
   4th Grade Reading (Mission Consolidated Independent School District)4940
 9%
   4th Grade Reading (Texas)4347
 4%
4th Grade Mathematics (Cantu Elementary)3233
 1%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Mission Consolidated Independent School District)4943
 6%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Texas)4647
 1%
4th Grade Reading (Cantu Elementary)3040
 10%
   4th Grade Reading (Mission Consolidated Independent School District)2633
 7%
   4th Grade Reading (Texas)2931
 2%
5th Grade Reading (Cantu Elementary)6351
 12%
   5th Grade Reading (Mission Consolidated Independent School District)5252
   5th Grade Reading (Texas)5156
 5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Cantu Elementary)5765
 8%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Mission Consolidated Independent School District)5649
 7%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Texas)5650
 6%
5th Grade Science (Cantu Elementary)5730
 27%
   5th Grade Science (Mission Consolidated Independent School District)5325
 28%
   5th Grade Science (Texas)4834
 14%
5th Grade Reading (Cantu Elementary)4648
 2%
   5th Grade Reading (Mission Consolidated Independent School District)4336
 7%
   5th Grade Reading (Texas)5333
 20%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students474417
 12%
African American00
American Indian00
Asian00
Hispanic472412
 12.7%
Pacific Islander00
White25
 150%
Two or More Races00
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients95.1%94.2%
 0.9%


Schools Near Cantu Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Cantu Elementary

In the 2023-24 school year, 466 students attended Cantu Elementary.

Cantu Elementary ranks 2397th of 4675 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Students who attend Cantu Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Alton Memorial J H
High : Mission Collegiate High School
High : Mission High School

Students at Cantu Elementary are 97% Hispanic, 3% White.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Texas Education Agency.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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