Idea Ewing Halsell College Preparatory

Idea Ewing Halsell College Preparatory in San Antonio, TX, is a public charter school serving 611 students in grades 6 through 12 as part of the Idea Public Schools district, and it serves a predominantly low socio-economic status population with 74% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.

This school stands out for its exceptional performance with English Language Learners (ELL), ranking in the 87th percentile for this group, which is a stark contrast to nearby schools like Harlandale High School and South San Antonio High School that serve similar demographics but lack this targeted success. However, the school shows a clear academic split: it consistently outperforms the state average in Biology and U.S. History, but struggles significantly in Algebra I and 8th Grade Social Studies. For example, only 34.7% of students were proficient in Algebra I compared to the state average of 54.0%. Despite being a "College Preparatory" school, its English II Reading performance has been volatile, dropping to 40.9% in 2025-2026, well below the state average of 59.9%.

On a positive note, the school maintains a very low dropout rate of 1.0%, which is significantly lower than nearby schools like Frank M Tejeda Academy (7.5%) and Harlandale High School (1.9%). The school also operates efficiently, spending $9,554 per student—less than many nearby traditional public schools—while achieving a higher overall state ranking than some peers. However, a critical weakness is its performance with Special Education students, who ranked in the 5th percentile, indicating a significant equity gap that needs attention. While the nearby Frank L Madla Early College High School outperforms in nearly every subject, it serves a less economically disadvantaged population, suggesting Idea Ewing Halsell is achieving its results with a more challenging student demographic but has not yet translated that into top-tier academic outcomes.