Public schools in McAllen, TX

48 open public schools with an address in McAllen, operated by 10 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.

Public schools

NCES preliminary directory 2025–26

Reported students

26,076

45 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25

Median student–teacher ratio

14.9:1

Texas median 14.5:1

Charter schools

0 virtual

An overview of McAllen public schools

The federal directory lists 48 public schools in McAllen, TX: 26 elementary, 8 middle, 12 high, 2 combined or other. The 45 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 26,076 students, an average of 579 per school. The largest campus is McAllen H S (2,134 students), and the largest elementary school is Gonzalez El (818).

McAllen ISD operates the most schools here (30), and 5 regular districts have at least one McAllen campus, plus 5 charter, service, or other agencies. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.

Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 14.9:1, similar to the statewide school median of 14.5:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.

School choice options include 10 charter schools. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.

Among 8 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 6 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 6 of 9 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.

Public school district

1 school in McAllen · 21 total

Elementary schools in McAllen

School	Grades	Students	Ratio
Alvarez El McAllen ISD	PK–05	435	15.8:1
Blanca E Sanchez McAllen ISD	PK–05	502	16.8:1
Castaneda El McAllen ISD	PK–05	374	13.9:1
Cavazos El Edinburg CISD	PK–05	479	16.2:1
Donna Wernecke El Sharyland ISD	PK–06	631	15:1
Dr Pablo Perez McAllen ISD	PK–05	601	16.8:1
Escandon El McAllen ISD	PK–05	478	14.1:1
Fields El McAllen ISD	PK–05	443	12.6:1
Garza El McAllen ISD	PK–05	409	14.8:1
Gonzalez El McAllen ISD	PK–05	818	16.4:1
Horizon Montessori - STEM Academy Horizon Montessori Public Schools · Charter	PK–08	331	15.2:1
Houston El McAllen ISD	PK–05	397	14.3:1
IDEA Los Encinos Academy IDEA Public Schools · Charter	KG–05	770	24.4:1
IDEA McAllen Academy IDEA Public Schools · Charter	KG–05	738	21.4:1
IDEA Tres Lagos Academy IDEA Public Schools · Charter	KG–05	695	22.7:1
Jackson El McAllen ISD	PK–05	548	13.9:1
Lloyd & Dolly Bentsen El Sharyland ISD	PK–06	611	16.6:1
Lucile Hendricks El McAllen ISD	PK–05	432	14.4:1
McAuliffe El McAllen ISD	PK–05	385	13.7:1
Milam El McAllen ISD	PK–05	811	15.6:1
Olivero Garza Sr El Sharyland ISD	PK–06	648	16.3:1
Rayburn El McAllen ISD	PK–05	530	15.4:1
Roosevelt El McAllen ISD	PK–05	357	12:1
Seguin El McAllen ISD	PK–05	530	14.5:1
Thigpen-Zavala El McAllen ISD	PK–05	470	14.9:1
Wilson El McAllen ISD	PK–05	408	13.8:1

Middle schools in McAllen

School	Grades	Students	Ratio
Brown Middle McAllen ISD	06–08	580	11.5:1
Cathey Middle McAllen ISD	06–08	827	15.4:1
De Leon Middle McAllen ISD	06–08	664	11.9:1
Hidalgo Co J J a E P Donna ISD · Alternative School	07–09	7	—
Michael E Fossum Middle McAllen ISD	06–08	791	14.7:1
Morris Middle McAllen ISD	06–08	999	14.9:1
Sharyland North J H Sharyland ISD	07–08	791	16.1:1
Travis Middle McAllen ISD	06–08	505	11.5:1

High schools in McAllen

School	Grades	Students	Ratio
Achieve Early College H S McAllen ISD	09–12	428	12.9:1
Hidalgo Co J J a E P Weslaco ISD · Alternative School	08–12	14	—
IDEA Los Encinos College Preparatory IDEA Public Schools · Charter	06–12	753	17.7:1
IDEA McAllen College Preparatory IDEA Public Schools · Charter	06–12	820	16.9:1
IDEA Tres Lagos College Preparatory IDEA Public Schools · Charter	06–12	685	16.4:1
J J A E P Edinburg CISD · Alternative School	08–12	—	—
Lamar Academy McAllen ISD · Alternative School	10–12	47	5.9:1
McAllen H S McAllen ISD	09–12	2,134	14.3:1
Memorial H S McAllen ISD	09–12	2,021	13.1:1
Premier H S - McAllen Premier High Schools · Charter · Alternative School	09–12	—	—
Texasworks - McAllen Texas Works · Charter · Alternative School	09–12	—	—
Triumph Public High Schools-McAllen Triumph Public High Schools-Rio Grande Valley · Charter · Alternative School	09–12	118	16.9:1

Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in McAllen

School	Grades	Students	Ratio	Compare
Instr/Guid Center McAllen ISD · Alternative School	06–11	60	5.5:1
Southwest Key Program McAllen ISD · Alternative School	04–12	1	—

Student demographics

Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment

White4%
Hispanic94%
Black0.5%
Asian1%
American Indian / Alaska Native0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0%
Multiracial0.4%

Enrollment-weighted across 45 McAllen schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (26,076 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.

Questions about public schools in McAllen

How many public schools are in McAllen, TX?

The current NCES directory lists 48 open public schools with a location address in McAllen: 26 elementary, 8 middle, 12 high, 2 combined or other. Together they reported 26,076 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.

Which school districts serve McAllen?

Schools with an address in McAllen belong to 10 education agencies, led by McAllen ISD (30 schools), IDEA Public Schools (6 schools), Sharyland ISD (4 schools). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.

What is the largest public high school in McAllen?

McAllen H S reported the largest high-school enrollment in McAllen, with 2,134 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.

Are there charter schools in McAllen?

Yes. 10 of the 48 public schools in McAllen are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including Horizon Montessori - STEM Academy, IDEA Los Encinos Academy, IDEA Los Encinos College Preparatory. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.

What is the typical student–teacher ratio in McAllen schools?

The median reported student–teacher ratio across McAllen public schools is 14.9:1, similar to the Texas school median of 14.5:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.

Does living in McAllen guarantee a seat at a specific school?

No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.

Nearby Texas cities

Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All Texas cities