Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Elementary· 123 schools in district

IDEA HARLINGEN ACADEMY

24240 CHESTER PARK RD, HARLINGEN, TX 78552IDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS →
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades KG–05Charter
607
Students
Total enrolled
$11,965
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
↓ 17% vs nat'l
20.4 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
↑ 32% vs nat'l
46/100
Opportunity Score
Neighborhood outcomes
~avg
⇄ Compare with another school
Mid-sized public school
Serves 607 students in grades KG–05 in HARLINGEN, Texas.
17% below average funding
District spends $11,965 per pupil, 17% less than the national average of $14,347.
Near-median opportunity
Children from this neighborhood historically reach the 46th income percentile as adults, per Harvard/Census Opportunity Atlas data.
About This School

IDEA HARLINGEN ACADEMY is a large elementary in HARLINGEN, Texas, serving grades KG–05 with 607 students. The district invests $11,965 per student — 17% below the national average of $14,347, with a 20.4:1 student-teacher ratio that is higher than the national norm of 15.4:1. About 90% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting significant economic challenges in the surrounding community.

Student Body & Demographics at IDEA HARLINGEN ACADEMY

607
Total Students
20.4 : 1
Student:Teacher
90%
Free Lunch
30
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
Highlighted grades (KG–05) are served by this school
Gender Distribution305 male · 302 female
50%
50%
Male 50%Female 50%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility90%
National avg 52% · 545 students
Student Composition
92%
White6%
Hispanic / Latino92%
Black1%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 480021114099

Academic Outcomes at IDEA HARLINGEN ACADEMY

Neighborhood Opportunity Score
46
/ 100
Near-median opportunity

Children from modest-income families in this neighborhood reach the 46th income percentile as adults. This school is in the 61th percentile nationally.

0 — Low50 — MedianHigh — 100
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census) · Census tract · ZIP 78552

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$11,965Below avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$11,965
State avg
$18,277
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$5,264
Student Support$2,273
Administration$1,436
Operations$1,795
Other$1,196
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $11,965 spent per student, an estimated $5,300 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
77%
State government
76.8%
Local (property tax)
2.8%
Federal programs
20.4%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • Charter school — may offer specialized curriculum or alternative teaching approaches
Worth Considering
  • 90% of students on free or reduced lunch — a high share that can indicate resource pressure
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
K–12 Pathway in District
Elementary
IDEA EDGEMERE ACADEMYIDEA MCALLEN ACADEMYIDEA NORTH MISSION ACADEMYIDEA WESLACO PIKE ACADEMY
+15 more
↓
High School
IDEA RIVERVIEW COLLEGE PREPARATORYIDEA MCALLEN COLLEGE PREPARATORYIDEA COLLEGE PREPARATORY PHARRIDEA COLLEGE PREPARATORY SAN BENITO
+7 more
School Profile
TypeRegular School
LevelElementary
GradesKG – 05
Location—
CountyCameron County
CharterYes
VirtualNo
DistrictIDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS →
Phone: (956)377-8000
NCES ID: 480021114099
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in HARLINGEN seeking a charter elementary school, especially those prioritizing a diverse, community-focused learning environment. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

More in IDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Elem
IDEA EDGEMERE ACADEMY
974 students · PK–05
● 43 opp71% FRL
Elem
IDEA MCALLEN ACADEMY
887 students · PK–05
84% FRL
Elem
IDEA NORTH MISSION ACADEMY
867 students · PK–05
92% FRL
Elem
IDEA WESLACO PIKE ACADEMY
838 students · PK–05
88% FRL
Elem
IDEA ACADEMY MISSION
831 students · PK–05
● 44 opp95% FRL
Elem
IDEA EDINBURG ACADEMY
830 students · PK–05
● 42 opp87% FRL
Elem
IDEA RIVERVIEW ACADEMY
830 students · PK–05
96% FRL
Elem
IDEA RIO VISTA ACADEMY
828 students · PK–05
● 44 opp91% FRL
District School Rankings
Location
24240 CHESTER PARK RD, HARLINGEN, TX 78552
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

Elementary
1
How is early reading and literacy taught?
Look for evidence-based, structured approaches
2
How does the school communicate with families?
Frequency, channels, translation support
3
What support exists for students who fall behind?
Tutoring, intervention programs, IEPs
4
What's the average class size here?
National avg is ~23 for elementary
5
What before/after-school programs are available?
Important for working parents
6
How is student social-emotional wellbeing supported?
Counselors, community circles, conflict resolution
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.