Summary:
The San Antonio Independent School District (Isd) includes 14 middle schools serving grades 6-8, with a few specialized campuses, in a high-poverty urban area where over 91% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
Agnes Cotton Academy is the standout school, earning a 4-star rating and ranking in the 72nd percentile statewide—far above any other school in the district. It achieves strong proficiency rates in math and reading despite 89.67% of its students being economically disadvantaged. Cast Imagine Middle, the smallest school with only 82 students, is the second-highest performer, with reading scores nearly matching the state average and the lowest poverty rate in the district at 64.63%. In contrast, Tafolla Middle and Rhodes Middle face the greatest challenges, ranking in the 2nd percentile statewide with the highest dropout rates and lowest math scores. Interestingly, Whittier Middle and Longfellow Middle excel in Algebra I, with proficiency rates above 82%, far exceeding the district and state averages.
Overall, the district's middle schools average in the 6.8th percentile statewide, indicating most perform in the bottom 10% of Texas schools. The student-teacher ratio is favorable at 14.3:1, and spending per student averages over $12,000, yet results vary widely. The "College Prep" models at Tafolla College Prep Middle, Davis College Prep Middle, and Rogers College Prep Middle have not yet shown clear academic advantages over traditional campuses. The data suggests that economic disadvantage is a strong predictor of performance, but Agnes Cotton Academy proves high achievement is possible even in high-poverty settings, making it a model worth studying for the district.
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