Las Milpas, Pharr, Texas facts for kids
Las Milpas (which means "The cornfields" in Spanish) is a community located in the city of Pharr. It's found in central Hidalgo County, Texas, within the beautiful Rio Grande Valley. Las Milpas used to be an area not officially part of any city, but now it's part of Pharr. It's a type of community called a colonia, often found near the U.S.-Mexico border. You can find it off U.S. Highway 281, about 5 miles (8 km) south of Pharr's city center, and it's located between McAllen and the border.
History of Las Milpas
Las Milpas was started in the 1960s, just like many other colonias in the area. By 1962, it already had several homes, streets, and even a church. A few years later, in 1976, the community had grown to 77 homes and was home to about 424 people.
Before 1987, the community had grown quite a bit, with almost 5,000 residents. During the mid-to-late 1980s, news reporters wrote about Las Milpas. They used it as an example to show what life was like for people living in American colonias. In 1987, the City of Pharr decided to officially make Las Milpas part of its city limits. This process is called annexation. Some people living in Las Milpas were not happy about this change. On December 19, 1987, the City of Pharr completed the annexation of the last 634 acres (257 ha) of Las Milpas.
By 1990, Las Milpas and another nearby community called Hidalgo Park had a combined population of 4,178 people. The community continued to grow, reaching 12,000 residents by 1995. At that time, a writer named Chris Kelley from The Dallas Morning News newspaper mentioned that Las Milpas showed how much Pharr needed help.
Around 1997, Lynn Brezosky of the Associated Press wrote about the challenging living conditions in Las Milpas and Pueblo de Palmas. She described them as very poor places that could become muddy and unclean when it rained a lot. However, things began to change. By 2007, the community had grown to over 17,000 residents. Many people who had moved to the community from other countries became U.S. citizens. They then started asking the government for help to improve their community. Brezosky later wrote that Las Milpas's change into a "proud, largely well-tended community" was a great example of an immigrant success story.
Community Facts
As of 2016, some facts about the area showed that about 62.1% of the people lived in poverty. Also, about 40% of the adults had not finished high school.
Education for Kids
Children in Las Milpas attend public schools operated by different school districts.
The Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (PSJA ISD) serves many students in the area. South Pharr Elementary School was planned to open in 2007. Later, in 2013, it was renamed Carmen Anaya Elementary School, honoring one of the people who started the Valley Interfaith organization. Students who go to Anaya Elementary are also assigned to Jaime Escalante Middle School and PJSA Southwest Early College High School.
Many children living in Las Milpas also attend schools in the Hidalgo Independent School District. J. C. Kelly Elementary School serves parts of Las Milpas that are in the Hidalgo ISD. All students in Hidalgo ISD are assigned to Ida Diaz Jr. High School and Hidalgo Early College High School.
Some children in the community also attend schools within the Valley View Independent School District.
Additionally, the South Texas Independent School District operates special magnet schools that are open to students from Las Milpas. Magnet schools often focus on specific subjects like science or technology.
