SAN JUAN, Texas — In a major statewide spotlight on South Texas public education, Texas Governor Greg Abbott singled out the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (PSJA ISD) as a premier model of academic excellence, explicitly contrasting the Rio Grande Valley school system’s top-tier performance against larger urban districts like Austin ISD.
Speaking during a statewide address on teacher effectiveness and student outcomes, Governor Abbott praised PSJA ISD for delivering stellar academic achievements despite facing significant economic headwinds.
“In Pharr-San Juan-Alamo, they have more than 60% of the schools rated A. In Austin, by contrast, less than a quarter of their schools are rated A. In Pharr-San Juan-Alamo, they have zero F-rated schools. In fact, they have zero schools that are rated C, D, or F," Abbott said. "So what does Pharr-San Juan-Alamo have that Austin ISD doesn’t have? Well, it’s not money. It’s not a wealthy community. What they have is a commitment to excellence.”
The Governor’s high praise follows the official release of the Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) 2026 A-F Accountability Ratings on August 14. In the latest scores, PSJA ISD secured an overall district rating of 'A' with a numerical score of 90 out of 100.
A deep-dive analysis of TEA accountability and enrollment data places PSJA ISD in an elite tier statewide. Among large Texas public school districts serving 25,000 or more students, PSJA ISD is tied for third in the entire state—standing alongside Frisco ISD (91), Prosper ISD (91), and United ISD (90). Furthermore, PSJA ISD and Laredo’s United ISD rank as the two highest-rated large districts in Education Service Center Region One.
What makes PSJA’s accomplishment particularly striking to state leaders and education analysts is the district's demographics. PSJA ISD serves more than 29,000 students across 44 campuses, where 94.4% of students are classified as economically disadvantaged and 40.5% are emergent bilingual/English learners.
AT A GLANCE: PSJA ISD 2026 ACCOUNTABILITY & PERFORMANCE
A central pillar of Governor Abbott’s praise focused on PSJA ISD’s aggressive participation in the state’s Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA), a program designed to recruit, retain, and reward highly effective educators in high-need schools.
Governor Abbott noted that despite being substantially smaller in total enrollment than Austin ISD, PSJA ISD has over 1,000 more teachers designated under the Teacher Incentive Allotment. District data confirms a record 82% of eligible PSJA teachers now hold TIA designations, up from 72% the prior academic year.
Since the 2022–2023 school year, TIA funding has funnelled nearly $87 million in incentive compensation directly into the paychecks of PSJA educators. Today, more than 340 classroom teachers in PSJA ISD earn six-figure annual salaries as a result of performance incentives.
“We appreciate seeing the work of our PSJA students and educators recognized on a statewide platform,” PSJA ISD Superintendent Dr. Alejandro Elias told reporters. “Being among the highest-performing large districts in Texas while every one of our campuses earned an A or B reflects years of intentional work, high expectations, strong instruction and strategic investment in our educators. These results belong to our teachers, principals, staff, students, families, Board of Trustees and the entire PSJA community.”
The statewide accolades coincide with a series of high-energy milestones across the district. On Tuesday, August 18, over 4,500 PSJA employees gathered at Edinburg’s Bert Ogden Arena for the district’s 2026-2027 Staff Convocation under the theme “Together We Make the Greatest Hits.”
The rock-and-roll themed celebration featured student performers, including the Allen & William Arnold Elementary Kronos Rock Band and the PSJA ISD Unified Band, alongside keynote speaker and Alamo native Elias “Bones” Rodriguez—a professional drummer who has toured with Mötley Crüe and Julien-K.
Beyond high school performance and district-wide ratings, early literacy initiatives in PSJA are gaining national recognition. Two campuses—Aida C. Escobar Elementary and Graciela Garcia Elementary (PSJA’s first International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program school)—were recently named Bright Spots Top Schools for Literacy Excellence byThe 74, a national education news outlet, for significantly outperforming national expectations in third-grade reading.
At the same time, the district continues to demonstrate its commitment to non-traditional and second-chance learning. On Thursday evening, August 20, PSJA ISD will celebrate the graduation of 115 students, ages 18 to 26, from the PSJA College Career & Technology Academy (CCTA) at the PSJA Southwest High School Auditorium.
The CCTA program provides adult learners with high school diplomas, industry-recognized workforce credentials, and laptops to ensure career readiness. Many of Thursday’s graduates will step directly into high-demand technical careers or post-secondary degree programs.
Through its signature "cradle-to-college pipeline," PSJA ISD continues to solidify its reputation not just as a powerhouse in the Rio Grande Valley, but as an educational benchmark for the entire State of Texas.
