Jaime Escalante Middle School in Pharr, Texas on DonorsChoose

{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Jaime Escalante Middle School","outOfStateSupporters":18.8,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":10378162,"projectId":9950341,"letterContent":"I am writing to express my deepest gratitude for your incredible generosity in funding our \" Help Us Communicate and Stay Safe During Recess\" project. The arrival of the new walkie-talkies has completely transformed our daily recess periods. Before your support, coordinating across our large playground was a constant challenge; now, our students can communicate instantly and effectively. This ensures that every student is accounted for and that any needs or emergencies can be addressed in seconds, providing a much-needed layer of security and peace of mind for everyone involved.\r\n\r\nBeyond the logistical safety, these walkie-talkies have also opened up new opportunities for student leadership and responsible communication. Watching our students use technology to maintain a safe environment has sparked wonderful conversations about teamwork and community care. Your contribution didn't just provide us with hardware; it provided us with a safer, more connected school culture. Thank you for investing in our students' well-being and for making our playground a better place to grow and play!","fullyFundedDate":1769192037406,"projectUrl":"project/help-us-communicate-and-stay-safe-during/9950341/","projectTitle":"Help Us Communicate and Stay Safe During Recess","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Campos","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-2_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10378162"},{"teacherId":4875847,"projectId":9687564,"letterContent":"Our colored printer has been a blessing to our scholars. Using colored visuals to teach emotional regulation has been highly effective in our classroom. Many of our students have difficulty identifying and expressing their feelings and using colors to help them distinguish between emotions has proven to be very successful. Colors offer a simple and concrete way to represent emotions that might otherwise feel confusing or overwhelming. This approach has improved students' self-awareness and communication, while also helping to reduce behavior challenges.\r\nThe printer has helped us create a calm corner with manipulatives that the nonverbal and verbal students can use at any time to show and express how they are feeling.","fullyFundedDate":1757513171025,"projectUrl":"project/emotions-a-journey-towards-a-happier-sc/9687564/","projectTitle":"Emotions: A Journey Towards a Happier Scholar","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Cardenas","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp4875847_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1740124111283","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/4875847"},{"teacherId":4875847,"projectId":9630793,"letterContent":"Thank you for your generous support of our classroom snack project. Your contribution has made a significant positive impact on our students' learning environment and motivation. Snacks help students stay engaged by:\r\n-Improving concentration and focus.\r\n-Providing necessary energy for long learning sessions.\r\n-Enhancing cognitive function through nutritious food choices.\r\n-Fostering a positive classroom environment.\r\n-Helping manage emotions and behavior by satisfying hunger.\r\n\r\nIn our classroom, we have implemented a positive reinforcement system where students earn \"classroom money\" for completing assignments and tasks throughout the day. They can then use this money to \"purchase\" snacks from our classroom store during designated snack times. This system has proven highly effective in motivating students and encouraging consistent engagement with their work.\r\n\r\nThe kids were incredibly excited to learn the project was funded and have remained motivated throughout its duration. We are always thankful for the opportunity your generosity has provided.","fullyFundedDate":1757009773571,"projectUrl":"project/small-bites-big-smiles/9630793/","projectTitle":"Small Bites, Big Smiles","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Cardenas","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp4875847_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1740124111283","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/4875847"},{"teacherId":9550788,"projectId":9132164,"letterContent":"Thank you, thank you, and thank you again! It's because of donors like you who see the value in supporting STEM classrooms, that are keeping the passion alive in our students. Science can be lame (according to students) without hands on activities! Our school is very small, so we don't have the funding like some of our sister schools have. Because of this, securing funds can be a challenge and often times, comes out of our own pockets. I hope this paints a picture of why I'm so grateful and your help was appreciated 1000 percent. \r\nMy robotics class got dissolved this year so I will be planning on using those specific robotics resources in the summer camp! \r\n\r\nPart of your donation included emotional regulation tools that the students were very excited to have! Most of our kids in my school have some type of learning disability, ADHD, ect; so you have no idea how helpful and calming/focusing the desk stickers have been!","fullyFundedDate":1746785847078,"projectUrl":"project/summer-enrichment-camprobotics-class/9132164/","projectTitle":"Summer Enrichment Camp/Robotics Class","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Navarro","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9550788_orig.jpg?crop=429,429,x0,y94&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1717161834013","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9550788"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_100801","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":538,"numTeachers":47,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":0,"percentWhite":0,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":99,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"6 - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"11.4:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_SMALL"},"inStateSupporters":81.3,"schoolId":100801,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Jaime Escalante Middle School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Jaime Escalante Middle School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/texas/pharr-san-juan-alamo-independent-school-district/escalante-middle-school/100801"}

About this school

Jaime Escalante Middle School is an urban public school in Pharr, Texas that is part of Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District. It serves 538 students in grades 6 - 8 with a student/teacher ratio of 11.4:1. Its teachers have had 15 projects funded on DonorsChoose.

Equity Focus School

Support towards this school will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Public School

Title 1

Grades 6 - 8

538 Students

47 Teachers

6123 S Cage Blvd

Pharr, TX 78577 View local requests

http://psjaisd.us

Direct, proactive support

Empower teachers at Jaime Escalante Middle School to request what their students need.

Give to this school

Ms. Vero, a DonorsChoose teacher for 9 years.

Kindergarten teacher at PS81 - Robert J. Christen School in Bronx, NY

Jaime Escalante Middle School Teachers on DonorsChoose

See more teachers from Jaime Escalante Middle School

DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for public school teachers.

Every donation funds real needs — pencils, books, lab equipment, art supplies, and more — helping students learn and thrive. We ship supplies directly to the school, and you'll see exactly where each dollar goes.

See how DonorsChoose works

Jaime Escalante Middle School Demographics

95%

of students receive free or reduced price lunch

Source: the National Center for Education Statistics

99%

of students are Black, Latino, Native American, or Asian

Schools in districts that mainly serve students of color receive substantially less state and local support than similar districts that serve primarily White students. Learn more about this gap, why it exists, and how you can help close it.

Jaime Escalante Middle School Support on DonorsChoose Last updated Apr 29, 2026

DonorsChoose makes it easy for anyone to help a teacher in need, moving us closer to a nation where students in every community have the tools and experiences they need for a great education.