Butz Preparatory Academy

Butz Preparatory Academy is a small public high school in Fort Stockton Independent School District, serving just 20 students in grades 9-12. Despite being part of a district ranked 856 out of 961 in Texas, Butz Preparatory Academy has consistently ranked in the bottom 10% of high schools in the state, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Butz Preparatory Academy faces significant challenges, including low student enrollment, underperforming test scores, and high dropout rates. The school's STAAR EOC proficiency rates are significantly lower than the district and state averages across all subject areas, and it has experienced dropout rates ranging from 0.5% to 1.3% over the past five years, which is higher than the district and state averages. Additionally, 80% of Butz Preparatory Academy's students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high percentage of low socioeconomic status students.

Interestingly, Butz Preparatory Academy is located just 0.01 miles away from Lone Star Virtual Academy, a public virtual high school within the same district. This proximity raises questions about the viability and purpose of maintaining a small, underperforming physical school when a virtual option is available. Furthermore, while the district's main high school, Fort Stockton High, also struggles with low performance, it outperforms Butz Preparatory Academy across various metrics, including higher STAAR EOC proficiency rates, a higher four-year graduation rate, and a lower dropout rate. Given these challenges, the district may need to consider consolidating or closing Butz Preparatory Academy to better allocate resources and provide more opportunities for students.