DOWNS FINE ARTS ACADEMY

426 Students

Elementary School Pre-K - 5th

School Overview

Downs Elementary, located at 1302 N. Dowling in San Benito, Texas, is a campus within the San Benito Consolidated Independent School District. As a public elementary school, it serves the local community by providing foundational education for students in the early stages of their academic careers. The school is deeply integrated into the San Benito area, reflecting the district’s broader commitment to fostering a supportive learning environment for a diverse student population in the Rio Grande Valley.

Academically, Downs Elementary focuses on the development of core competencies, including literacy, mathematics, and social studies, while often emphasizing bilingual education and community values common to the region. Like other schools in the district, it strives to balance rigorous curriculum standards with extracurricular and developmental programs designed to prepare students for middle school. The school serves as a central hub for neighborhood families, maintaining a strong focus on school spirit, student growth, and community engagement.

426

Total Students

30.9

Full-Time Teachers

13.8

Student/Teacher Ratio

72.5%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for DOWNS FINE ARTS ACADEMY
Demographic	Student Count
White	21
Hispanic	403
Asian	1
American Indian	1

Hispanic
403 (94.6%)
White
21 (4.9%)
Asian
1 (0.2%)
American Indian
1 (0.2%)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Elementary School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	N/A
Shared Time Status:	N/A
District:	SAN BENITO CISD
Phone:	(956)361-6720
Grade Range:	Pre-K - 5th
Total Students:	426
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	30.9
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	13.8
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	306
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	3

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Pre-Kindergarten 98

Kindergarten 52

Grade 1 59

Grade 2 51

Grade 3 59

Grade 4 51

Grade 5 56