Telles Academy

Telles Academy is a small alternative high school in El Paso, TX, serving just 26 students in grades 6-12 within the El Paso Independent School District (Isd), where nearly 9 out of 10 students come from low-income households.

This school stands out for its remarkable ability to keep students enrolled. While nearby schools like Bowie High School and College Career Technology Academy (Ccta) (which shares the same address) report dropout rates of 3.2% and 14.5% respectively, Telles Academy has maintained a perfect 0% dropout rate for five consecutive years. This suggests the school excels as a "safety net," prioritizing keeping at-risk students in school above all else. However, this focus on retention comes with a trade-off: academic proficiency rates are critically low, with many grade-level exams showing 0% proficiency, and the school ranks in the 2nd percentile statewide. A small bright spot exists in 6th Grade Reading (20% proficiency) and Algebra I (8.33% proficiency).

The school also presents a spending paradox. With a student-teacher ratio of just 3.2 to 1, Telles Academy spends an extraordinary $107,042 per student—over 11 times more than high-performing nearby schools like Silva Health Magnet ($9,822 per student). This massive investment, likely driven by fixed costs for intensive support services, has not translated into academic gains. For parents, Telles Academy appears to be a place that successfully keeps students in school and provides a highly personalized environment, but families seeking strong academic outcomes may want to explore other options in the district.