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UTB-CBIRD Report: “At The Crossroads” Education & Training 46
The reasons for the success of the magnet schools are complex, but classic
success parameters produced by financial investment are present. In Table 4.2,
we see that South Texas ISD, compared to Cameron County ISD averages, has
fewer economically disadvantaged students enrolled. They spend $2,453 more
per pupil, including $1,147 on instructional dollars. They receive $1,509 more
State Aid per pupil, and realize $2,409 more total revenue per pupil. Their
teacher salaries average $3,313 higher than Cameron County ISDs, and they
have a lower student-per-teacher ratio.
Table 4. 2. Financial Data, South Texas ISD & Cameron County ISDs
South Texas ISD Cameron County ISD s
Total Students 2,300 81,067
Total Schools 5 121
Economically Disadvantaged 52% 85%
Total $ per Pupil 8,754 6,301
Instructional $ per Pupil 4,684 3,537
Total Revenue per Pupil 9,296 6,887
State Aid per Pupil 6,602 5,093
Average Teacher salary 41,520 38,207
Students per Teacher 12.7 15
Source: Texas Education Agency Assessment Statistics
In short, the magnet schools have received a much higher rate of funding than
Cameron County, and with these “higher funding dollars” they have employed
programs that produce results. Magnet schools demand high academic
standards and promote education continuance. Students are encouraged to
pursue personal interests and abilities toward a career focus of their choice.
Conclusion – At the Crossroads
There is no more important resource for the Lower Rio Grande Valley than its
young people and the single most important factor for the development of this
resource is public school education. The challenges facing the public schools in
Cameron County are clear and serious: more students must finish high school
and more must finish high school prepared for post-secondary education,
whether that be in the university, community college, or workforce training
programs.
The most crucial and immediate need is to reduce the loss in enrollment that
takes place during middle and high school years. While significant strides have
been made in increases in the percentage of high school graduates completing a
college preparatory curriculum and in the percentage participating in advanced
placement (AP) course work, these strides need to be matched by progress in
successful SAT/ACT test performance and college/university enrollment and
graduation.
While the South Texas Independent School District is meeting important
educational challenges of the border region, it serves a limited number of
students. The methods employed in the magnet schools should be examined in
light of how they may be copied and used more broadly.
Una Region -- Un Futuro
More than 90% of
South Texas ISD
graduates from the
high school for Health
Professions and the
Science Academy
enter college.
The success of the
South Texas ISD
magnet schools
illustrates the
possibilities that can
be attained with a
regional vision that
crosses geographic/
political borders and
implements nontraditional
methods to
solve long-standing
challenges. This
success is displayed in
the area of the region’s
“most critical need” –
education of its young
population.