Best High Schools in Elgin, TX

The city of Elgin, Texas, is served by two public high schools within the Elgin Independent School District (Isd), which is ranked in the bottom 5% of Texas districts, indicating significant systemic challenges for the area's 1,821 combined students in grades 9-12.

Elgin High School is the district's main comprehensive school with 1,771 students, and it shows a mixed picture. While its overall state rank is low (16th percentile), it graduates 92.2% of its students—a bright spot given that 71% of its students are economically disadvantaged. However, the school struggles severely in core subjects: only 5% of students are proficient in Algebra I, and just 32.4% meet standards in English I Reading. In contrast, it performs relatively better in Biology (49% proficient) and U.S. History (50.66% proficient), suggesting inconsistent instructional quality across departments. In comparison, Phoenix High School is a much smaller alternative campus (50 students) serving grades 10-12, and it faces a concentrated crisis. It recorded 0% proficiency in Algebra I and English I Reading, a 6.5% dropout rate (triple the district average), and a graduation rate of just 67.1%. Despite spending $11,597 per student (more than Elgin High) and having a lower student-to-teacher ratio (12:1 vs. 19:1), its outcomes are drastically worse, highlighting the profound needs of its student body.

The key takeaway for parents is that the two schools serve very different populations and face distinct challenges. Elgin High School manages to graduate most of its students despite low test scores, but the Algebra I crisis (5% proficiency) is a major red flag for college and career readiness. Phoenix High School is a high-need alternative campus where even increased resources are not overcoming severe academic and behavioral hurdles. The district's overall low ranking is a direct result of both schools' struggles, but the underlying causes differ: systemic underperformance at Elgin High versus a concentrated crisis at Phoenix High.