Diboll

Diboll is a small, alternative high school in Austin, TX, serving just 75 students in grades 9-12 as part of the The Excel Center (For Adults) district, which focuses on a unique educational model for students who may have experienced interruptions in their schooling.

Diboll stands out for its dramatic academic turnaround and extreme volatility. After ranking in the 19th percentile (1 star) in the 2023-2024 school year, it jumped to the 73rd percentile (4 stars) the following year, before settling at a 62nd percentile (3 stars) in the most recent data. This is a stark contrast to nearby schools like Idea Rundberg College Preparatory and Cedars Academy Next Generation H S At Highland, which show consistently high performance. However, Diboll’s most critical challenge is its dropout rate, which was a staggering 41.6% in the 2023-2024 school year—more than 16 times higher than the nearest comparable school, Graduation Prep Academy Navarro (6.9%). While this rate has been declining, it remains a defining issue. On a positive note, Diboll recently earned a 4-star rating for serving low socio-economic status students, ranking in the 75th percentile, a massive improvement from the 13th percentile just two years prior.

Academically, Diboll shows a fascinating split: it achieved 100% proficiency in Biology and 66.67% in Algebra I, both well above state averages, but only 40% in English II Reading, which is below the state average of 59.88%. This suggests a strength in STEM instruction but a weakness in literacy. Compared to Cedars Academy, another small alternative school with 116 students, Diboll’s challenges are more pronounced. Cedars Academy boasts a 100% graduation rate and 0% dropout rate, highlighting that small size alone doesn’t cause high dropout rates—Diboll’s specific mission and student population likely play a key role. For parents, Diboll offers a highly personalized environment with recent signs of improvement, but the high dropout rate and academic volatility require careful consideration.