Daep

Daep is a small alternative school in the San Antonio Independent School District (Isd) serving grades 6-12 with just 75 students, located in a high-needs area where over 93% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. This school stands out for its extraordinary investment in each student, spending $282,662 per pupil—more than 20 times what nearby schools like Burbank High School ($12,259) and Lanier High School ($12,484) spend. With a student-teacher ratio of just 3.9:1, Daep provides an incredibly individualized learning environment, far lower than the 16.7:1 ratio at Burbank or 15.4:1 at Lanier.

Despite these intensive resources, Daep has consistently ranked in the bottom 5% of Texas high schools for the past decade, with zero stars in overall state rankings and 0% proficiency in most subjects like 6th-8th grade Reading and Math. However, the school achieves a remarkable 0.0% dropout rate for five consecutive years, a stark contrast to other alternative schools in the area such as Texans Can Academy - San Antonio (39.3% dropout rate) and Learn4life (27.8% dropout rate). This suggests Daep excels at keeping at-risk students enrolled and on a path to graduation, even if standardized test scores remain low.

For parents considering Daep, it is important to understand the school's primary mission: retention and stabilization for students who have struggled in traditional settings. While academic proficiency rates are extremely low compared to schools like Henry Ford Academy Alameda School For Art + Design (which serves a less economically disadvantaged population), Daep's success in preventing dropouts is unmatched in the region. The school's high per-pupil spending and low student-teacher ratio reflect a commitment to intensive support, but families should expect that the focus is on keeping students in school rather than achieving high test scores.