Best Elementary Schools in San Marcos, TX

This analysis covers 8 elementary schools in San Marcos, Texas, serving grades PK-5 across two districts: the Hays Consolidated Independent School District and the San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District.

Two schools stand out as top performers. Crockett Elementary is the highest-ranked school, achieving a 4-star rating and consistently beating state averages in Reading and Math, even with a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced lunch. Hernandez Elementary is the most improved, jumping from a 3-star to a 4-star rating in just two years and now also outperforming state averages. In contrast, Bowie Elementary is the lowest-performing school, with a 0-star rating and scores well below state averages, despite having the highest per-student spending among San Marcos CISD schools. Blanco Vista Elementary, the only school from Hays CISD, has a lower rate of economic disadvantage and solid 3-star performance, but it is not the top academic performer.

A key finding is that higher spending does not guarantee better results. The three schools with the highest per-student spending—Rodriguez Elementary, Travis Elementary, and Bowie—are among the lowest-performing, while top-performing Crockett and Hernandez spend less. Additionally, 5th-grade Science scores are a universal weak point across nearly all schools, often falling below the state average. The data shows that school-level leadership and strategies can overcome broader district challenges, as Crockett and Hernandez thrive within the lower-ranked San Marcos CISD while other schools in the same district struggle significantly.