34 public K-12 schools in Harlingen from NCES Common Core of Data: enrollment, grade span, demographics, and Civil Rights Data Collection statistics for every active campus.
National city placement
According to NCES CCD 2024-25, Harlingen has more public-school enrollment than 92% of the 4,487 US cities in this directory. Harlingen is among the largest city school systems in this directory by enrollment, but its campuses are divided among 4 districts. That combination matters: citywide averages blend separate budgets, staffing policies, attendance boundaries, and program rules. For a family comparing schools here, the district column is as important as the city average; two nearby campuses may answer to different boards and draw on different F-33 funding pools.
21 of Harlingen's 34 listed schools use NCES's combined or “other” grade-level classification. Citywide averages therefore blend campuses serving unusually broad or nonstandard grade spans with conventional elementary, middle, and high schools. Grade configuration is a first-order comparison here, not a minor label.
The 73-point gap between Secondary Alter Ctr and Hcisd Early Childhood Academy shows the range hidden by Harlingen's average Resource Investment Index. The city figure is useful for national placement, but families ultimately choose among campuses with different grade spans, enrollment, district affiliations, and reported support fields. Start with schools serving the relevant grade level, then compare the index components rather than assuming the city average describes any one classroom.
Harlingen school enrollment ranges from 1 students (lowest) to 2,433 students (highest), a spread of 2,432 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. Per-school staffing and program breadth can differ sharply at opposite ends of that enrollment range, so the city average should not be treated as a typical campus.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
The reported share is at least 75%, indicating a high concentration of measured economic need. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
student-teacher ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE classroom teachers against total enrollment, push-in specialists, English-language aides, special-education co-teachers, and counselors are not included in most reporting Variation between sub-units within Harlingen is typically wider than the Harlingen-aggregate figure suggests.
12% of the city's listed public-school campuses are reported as charter schools in NCES CCD. Charter status identifies a different governance arrangement; it does not establish admissions availability, academic quality, or the share of city students enrolled in those campuses. Open each school record to compare enrollment and staffing directly.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
| # | School | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Secondary Alter Ctr | 73 |
| 2. | Harlingen School of Health Professions | 65 |
| 3. | Harlingen Collegiate H S | 62 |
| 4. | Edna Tamayo House | 57 |
| 5. | Jefferson El | 53 |
| 6. | Horizon Montessori Iii - Stem Academy | 52 |
| 7. | Moises Vela Middle | 50 |
| 8. | Harlingen H S - South | 49 |
| 9. | Jubilee Harlingen | 47 |
| 10. | Travis El | 47 |
| 11. | Crockett El | 47 |
| 12. | Dr Abraham P Cano Freshman Academy | 45 |
| 13. | Zavala El | 45 |
| 14. | Gutierrez Middle | 43 |
| 15. | Vernon Middle | 43 |
| 16. | Bowie El | 43 |
| 17. | Houston El | 42 |
| 18. | Harlingen H S | 41 |
| 19. | Wilson El | 41 |
| 20. | Austin El | 41 |
| 21. | Memorial Middle | 40 |
| 22. | Coakley Middle | 40 |
| 23. | Lee H Means El | 39 |
| 24. | Stuart Place El | 39 |
| 25. | Ben Milam El | 39 |
| 26. | Lamar El | 35 |
| 27. | Bonham El | 33 |
| 28. | Long El | 32 |
| 29. | Treasure Hills El | 31 |
| 30. | Dr Hesiquio Rodriguez El | 31 |
| 31. | Idea Harlingen College Preparatory | 31 |
| 32. | Idea Harlingen Academy | 29 |
| 33. | Hcisd Early Childhood Academy | - |
| 34. | Cameron Co J J a E P | - |
Ranked by the Simpson student-body diversity index (0-100) from NCES race and ethnicity data, where higher means a more evenly mixed student body. It measures mix, not quality.
Secondary Alter Ctr has the highest Resource Investment Index among the Harlingen schools in this federal-data comparison at 73/100. The index summarizes reported staffing, counseling, gifted-program, and attendance inputs; it is not an academic rating.
Harlingen has 34 public schools with a total enrollment of 19,122 students. 4 are charter schools. Average student-teacher ratio: 15:1.
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Data from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 and Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22. The Resource Investment Index uses reported student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance; it is not an academic rating. Cities must include at least five schools to be listed. This public-data comparison is for informational purposes: verify current enrollment, attendance boundaries, and programs with the school district before acting. See the guide to understanding NCES data.
