Summary:
The city of Sabinal, Texas, is served by the Sabinal Independent School District (Isd), which operates two small public schools—Sabinal Elementary (grades PK-6) and Sabinal Secondary (grades 7-12)—with a combined enrollment of 462 students in a rural area.
These two schools tell very different stories. Sabinal Elementary has shown more volatility and potential, jumping to a 3-star rating in 2024-2025 before dropping back to 2 stars in projections. In that strong year, its 3rd graders outperformed the state average in both reading (57.14% vs. 52.02%) and math (60.71% vs. 44.88%). In contrast, Sabinal Secondary has consistently struggled, earning only 1-star ratings in recent years and ranking in the bottom third of Texas high schools. However, the secondary school does keep 90.6% of its students on track to graduate, with a very low dropout rate of 0.9%, and shows bright spots in subjects like English I Reading and Biology, where scores approach state averages.
A key takeaway is the "spending vs. performance" paradox: the district spends well above the state average—$21,216 per student at the secondary level and $17,580 at the elementary level—and maintains low student-teacher ratios (13.1:1 at elementary, 10.8:1 at secondary). Yet academic outcomes remain below state averages, likely tied to the high rate of economic disadvantage (90.34% at the elementary, 63.39% at the secondary). The data also suggests a potential "drop-off" in achievement as students move from elementary to secondary school, with the elementary school's 3rd grade math success not carrying forward to 4th grade. For parents, this means Sabinal Elementary offers some promising early foundations, while Sabinal Secondary provides strong support for graduation but faces significant academic challenges.
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