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Karen Wagner High School

Public Grades 9-12
1610th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 2,009 Texas High Schools
Better than 20% of Texas high schools
Summary

Karen Wagner High School is a large public high school in San Antonio, TX, serving 2,423 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Judson Independent School District (Isd), where over 76% of students come from low-income households. The school has faced persistent academic challenges, ranking in the bottom 20th percentile of Texas high schools for the past decade, with a graduation rate of 79.9% and a dropout rate of 4.5% that is nearly double the district average. While its test scores are lower than the Judson ISD average, they are notably better than nearby Judson High School—for example, Algebra I proficiency at Wagner (23.88%) is almost double Judson's (13.1%)—making it a relatively stronger option among large traditional schools in the area.

A stark contrast exists with Robert G Cole Middle/High School, just 4 miles away, which is a top 5% school with a 98.3% graduation rate and test scores 2-3 times higher than Wagner's, such as 84.21% Algebra I proficiency versus Wagner's 23.88%. This gap is largely tied to different student demographics, as Cole serves only 17% low-income students. Additionally, Idea Walzem College Preparatory, a charter school 3.2 miles away, consistently outperforms Wagner despite having a similar percentage of low-income students (77%), showing that individual school leadership matters even within the same charter network.

Wagner's per-student spending ($8,813) is among the lowest in the area, significantly less than Cole ($18,443) but comparable to Judson High ($8,898), suggesting funding alone doesn't determine success. The school's student-to-teacher ratio (15.7:1) is relatively low, yet this hasn't translated into academic gains, pointing to potential issues with instructional quality or support systems. Performance for specific groups has been volatile—Gifted and Talented students ranked in the 76th percentile in 2022-2023 but dropped to the 16th percentile by 2025-2026—raising questions about how well the school challenges its highest-achieving students. While Wagner has stabilized in the 19th-25th percentile range over the last three years after a decline, it has not shown significant recovery, indicating current interventions may be preventing further decline but not driving improvement.

2,423
Students ?
15.7
Student/teacher ratio ?
$11,358
Per pupil spending ?
76.4%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 3000 N Foster Rd
       San Antonio, TX  78244

(210) 662-5000

District: Judson Independent School District (Isd)


Feeder schools for Karen Wagner High School:

Elementary:    Candlewood Elementary
    Escondido Elementary
    Hopkins Elementary
    James L Masters
    More...
Middle:    Henry Metzger Middle
    Kirby Middle
Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
61.5%
African American:
25.6%
White:
7.7%
more
 See top rated Texas high schools

 Compare Karen Wagner High School to nearby high schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Rebounding — 14th percentile in 2022 → 25th in 2025
Strengths
Ranking is rebounding — up to 25th (2025) from a 14th-percentile low (2022)
Worth a look
!Test scores below the Texas average (41% vs 62% meeting standards)
!In the lower quartile statewide (20th percentile)
!Algebra I scores 30 pts below the Texas average
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school41%
District avg47%
Texas avg62%
1,610th of 2,009
Texas public high schools ?
Bottom 20%▼ down 15 pts since 2015
From bottom 41% (2015) to bottom 25% (2025)
See the entire ranking list of Texas High Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
3rd of 5High Schools in the Judson Independent School District (Isd)
752nd of 951Judson Independent School District (Isd) among Texas districts
Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202526.71476 of 197425.2%★☆☆☆☆
202420.51614 of 199018.9%★☆☆☆☆
202315.91665 of 196115.1%★☆☆☆☆
202215.21609 of 187614.2%★☆☆☆☆
202120.71510 of 186118.9%★☆☆☆☆
201943.71032 of 185744.4%★★☆☆☆
201836.81120 of 179737.7%★★☆☆☆
201733.11177 of 177733.8%★★☆☆☆
201640.41179 of 176233.1%★★☆☆☆
201547.31036 of 174340.6%★★☆☆☆
201436.21234 of 173428.8%★☆☆☆☆
201334.71210 of 165226.8%★☆☆☆☆
201240.81082 of 160332.5%★★☆☆☆
201140.71295 of 167222.5%★☆☆☆☆
201039.31248 of 156820.4%★☆☆☆☆
200941.41152 of 153925.1%★☆☆☆☆
200832.21233 of 151018.3%★☆☆☆☆
200729.61228 of 149718.0%★☆☆☆☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202535.3503 of 83439.7%★★☆☆☆
202438.5581 of 106545.4%★★☆☆☆
202321.8844 of 106921.0%★☆☆☆☆
202220.0856 of 103117.0%★☆☆☆☆
202122.4813 of 102020.3%★☆☆☆☆
201946.6481 of 102453.0%★★★☆☆
201845.1477 of 101352.9%★★★☆☆

Asian

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202519.8362 of 42815.4%★☆☆☆☆
202445.1341 of 53035.7%★★☆☆☆
202348.1325 of 52538.1%★★☆☆☆
202218.4439 of 50713.4%★☆☆☆☆
202114.7438 of 48810.2%★☆☆☆☆
201918.3426 of 48712.5%★☆☆☆☆
201810.6437 of 48610.1%★☆☆☆☆

At Risk

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202227.01398 of 183723.9%★☆☆☆☆
202133.01227 of 182932.9%★★☆☆☆
201967.7339 of 181081.3%★★★★☆
201857.8496 of 178472.2%★★★★☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202531.4747 of 115335.2%★★☆☆☆
202446.7563 of 143760.8%★★★☆☆
202324.21057 of 137122.9%★☆☆☆☆
202221.51069 of 127816.4%★☆☆☆☆
202124.0977 of 119518.2%★☆☆☆☆
201953.2364 of 113668.0%★★★☆☆
201842.4494 of 111355.6%★★★☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202524.81165 of 150422.5%★☆☆☆☆
202434.41234 of 188034.4%★★☆☆☆
202313.91634 of 189113.6%★☆☆☆☆
202214.71590 of 184113.6%★☆☆☆☆
202119.21496 of 181517.6%★☆☆☆☆
201940.11144 of 179836.4%★★☆☆☆
201832.71268 of 178128.8%★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202552.7587 of 96439.1%★★☆☆☆
202371.8280 of 118276.3%★★★★☆
202251.4761 of 117235.1%★★☆☆☆
202156.8689 of 117741.5%★★☆☆☆
201945.8840 of 114526.6%★☆☆☆☆
201855.1690 of 113739.3%★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202529.11057 of 145327.3%★☆☆☆☆
202441.3938 of 180548.0%★★☆☆☆
202317.21551 of 182014.8%★☆☆☆☆
202217.81495 of 176215.2%★☆☆☆☆
202124.71356 of 174322.2%★☆☆☆☆
201951.2735 of 171457.1%★★★☆☆
201841.4946 of 169144.1%★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202530.11090 of 151328.0%★☆☆☆☆
202439.91038 of 188444.9%★★☆☆☆
202317.81620 of 189714.6%★☆☆☆☆
202215.91620 of 184712.3%★☆☆☆☆
202124.01473 of 184820.3%★☆☆☆☆
201949.4823 of 181854.7%★★★☆☆
201841.51015 of 179443.4%★★☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202525.31134 of 151525.1%★☆☆☆☆
202434.51175 of 189137.9%★★☆☆☆
202315.81628 of 191314.9%★☆☆☆☆
202214.51610 of 185313.1%★☆☆☆☆
202120.51488 of 184019.1%★☆☆☆☆
201943.9985 of 182446.0%★★☆☆☆
201836.61160 of 180335.7%★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202521.2495 of 59817.2%★☆☆☆☆
202425.9574 of 73121.5%★☆☆☆☆
202325.1532 of 67721.4%★☆☆☆☆
202215.7587 of 66411.6%★☆☆☆☆
202120.0489 of 58816.8%★☆☆☆☆
201937.7377 of 60437.6%★★☆☆☆
201839.9360 of 58238.1%★★☆☆☆

Native American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
201971.831 of 10570.5%★★★★☆

Pacific Islander

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
201964.513 of 3461.8%★★★☆☆
201854.916 of 3452.9%★★★☆☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202533.2883 of 129932.0%★★☆☆☆
202456.8478 of 154869.1%★★★☆☆
202327.91140 of 147822.9%★☆☆☆☆
202228.41096 of 141822.7%★☆☆☆☆
202132.7964 of 138230.2%★★☆☆☆
201947.6577 of 135757.5%★★★☆☆
201842.1673 of 134750.0%★★★☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202525.41014 of 129421.6%★☆☆☆☆
202434.01059 of 155631.9%★★☆☆☆
20239.41435 of 15768.9%☆☆☆☆☆
202212.01387 of 15259.0%☆☆☆☆☆
202136.81014 of 151032.8%★★☆☆☆
201938.61014 of 152633.6%★★☆☆☆
201827.51216 of 153921.0%★☆☆☆☆
How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)
Native American (2019)70th percentile+26 vs school
Pacific Islander (2019)62nd percentile+17 vs school
African American (2025)40th percentile+14 vs school
Gifted and Talented (2025)39th percentile+14 vs school
English Language Learner (2025)35th percentile+10 vs school
Special Education (2025)32nd percentile+7 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2025)28th percentile+3 vs school
Hispanic (2025)27th percentile~ school
Male (2025)25th percentile~ school
At Risk (2022)24th percentile+10 vs school
Female (2025)23rd percentile-3 vs school
White (2025)22nd percentile-4 vs school
Multi-racial (2025)17th percentile-8 vs school
Asian (2025)15th percentile-10 vs school
By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?
U.S. History63%-8 vs state
Biology47%-23 vs state
English II Reading36%-24 vs state
English I Reading36%-20 vs state
Algebra I24%-30 vs state

4.0
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What people are saying
by a parent
Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Open Quote May daughter is in her senior year (2012-2013. She has attended Judson ISD schools from kindergarten. The school district has been very instrumental in helping her to excell and strive to do her best in all that she does.

We are a military family and traveled from many years, settling here in San Antonio, in time for our youngest to have the opportunity to attend school in one location for her entire experience from K-12.

Judson ISD has grown since we arrived, however the schools have also grown and improved.

Wagner High School is the newest High School in the District my daughter has excelled both in athletics and academics. She will graduate this year well on her way to being a productive member of society and it is my belief that the staff and teachers of Judson ISD, and most recently Wagner High School deserve a part of the credit for this accomplishment. Close Quote





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Frequently Asked Questions about Karen Wagner High School

Karen Wagner High School ranks in the bottom 19.9% of Texas high schools.

Karen Wagner High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Candlewood Elementary
Elementary : Escondido Elementary
Elementary : Hopkins Elementary
Elementary : James L Masters
Elementary : Park Village Blended Learning Academy
Elementary : William Paschall Elementary
Elementary : Woodlake Elementary
Middle : Henry Metzger Middle
Middle : Kirby Middle

Students at Karen Wagner High School are 61% Hispanic, 26% African American, 8% White, 3% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

In the 2024-25 school year, 2,423 students attended Karen Wagner High School.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Texas Education Agency.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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