Prelude Preparatory Charter School

Prelude Preparatory Charter School is a single elementary school in San Antonio, Texas, serving grades PK through 5 with 162 students, and it operates as its own district, Prelude Preparatory Charter School.

This school stands out for serving a very high-needs population, with 91.36% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, yet it maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 13.8:1. Academically, the school shows a clear pattern of strength in Reading compared to significant weaknesses in Math and Science. For example, in the 2025-2026 school year, 5th-grade Reading proficiency reached 58.82%, exceeding the state average, while 3rd-grade Math proficiency was only 23.53%, less than half the state average. The 2024-2025 Science score for 5th grade was critically low at 16.67%, nearly 13 points below the state average. This subject-specific disparity suggests a systemic issue with STEM instruction that needs targeted intervention.

Despite these challenges, the school's overall state ranking has improved for three consecutive years, moving from the 44th to the 50th percentile, indicating a positive trajectory. However, the small enrollment size causes significant year-over-year volatility in grade-level scores, such as 4th-grade Reading dropping 25 points from 69.23% to 44.44% between school years. A data anomaly shows test scores for 6th grade, even though the school only serves through 5th grade, possibly indicating a recent expansion. Overall, Prelude Preparatory Charter School is a high-poverty school with improving state rankings, but its success hinges on addressing critical STEM weaknesses while maintaining Reading progress.