We Are the Wildcats
Besteiro Middle School is a high-performing campus in beautiful South Texas. It is one of the top schools in the Brownsville Independent School District. Starting in 2009, Besteiro Middle School achieved its first TEA Recognized Campus status, a result of diligent study on the part of students, effective teaching and involved parents. The school repeated this feat in 2010.

Besteiro Middle School has been the recipient of numerous awards, including a Texas High-Performing Campus, a NASA Explorer school and home of an HEB Principal of the Year recipient.

Students at Besteiro Middle School received individualized attention from teachers who care and are willing to do anything to help students to succeed. Teachers and students work together over Christmas break, Spring break and on many Saturdays. Whatever it takes to get the job done is the philosophy of Besteiro Middle School and that is what makes us the Wildcats.
Raul A. Besteiro - A Fine Namesake
Established in 1994, Besteiro Middle School was named in honor of Raul A. Besteiro.

The Chief Executive Officer and Port Director for the Port of Brownsville, Besteiro was honored as a Distinguished Alumnus for Texas Southmost College in May of 2000.

Besteiro or "Mr. B" as everyone affectionately knew him, attended TSC in 1952 after graduating from Saint Joseph Academy. In a 1999 interview, he said staying close to home gave him time to mature and appreciate the individual attention he had received as a student at TSC.

The junior college also had a special place in Besteiro's heart. It was where he met his future wife, Mina. Mina was the Bougainvillea Queen and Besteiro was her escort.

After attending TSC, Besteiro pursued his studies at The University of Texas at Austin where he graduated in 1957 with B.A. in zoology and chemistry. He also has a Master of Arts degree from Texas A and I University in Kingsville.

Before joining the Port of Brownsville, Besteiro was a long-time educator serving as a teacher, assistant principal and principal of Brownsville High School, the city's only high school at the time.

While he was principal, he was the first in Texas to introduce the dual division concept to relieve the overcrowding at the high school. At that time, Brownsville High School was the largest high school in the country.

In 1976, Besteiro was appointed superintendent. During his 13-year tenure, he led the district through tremendous growth overseeing the construction of ten new elementary, junior high and high schools, and a new administration building. Today, our middle school bears his name.

"It was 33 years of the best time of my life. I never had a regret. The hardest thing was to leave the kids when I became a deputy superintendent," recalled Besteiro.