Kirby Middle

Kirby Middle in San Antonio, TX, serves 423 students in grades 7 and 8 within the Judson Independent School District (Isd), a high-poverty community where over 90% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. This school stands out for its very low student-to-teacher ratio of 10.9:1, which is much lower than nearby schools like Henry Metzger Middle (17.5:1) and White Middle (15.8:1), suggesting more individualized attention for students.

Kirby Middle presents a fascinating "two-speed" story. While overall academic performance in standard grade-level subjects like Reading and Math has historically been low, the school achieves exceptional results in advanced high school credit courses. For example, in Algebra I, 67.86% of Kirby students were proficient, dramatically outperforming the district (30.52%) and state (54.03%). In Biology, an impressive 96.67% of students were proficient, far exceeding the district (60.91%) and state (70.51%). This advanced coursework success is among the best in the area, even surpassing Krueger Middle in Algebra I proficiency (63.36%). The school also has a very low and improving dropout rate of 0.6% for the 2023-2024 school year, well below the district average of 2.5%.

There are also bright spots for specific student groups. African American students and English Language Learner (ELL) students have shown remarkable progress, with their statewide rankings jumping from the 5th and 6th percentiles, respectively, to the 30th percentile in the 2025-2026 school year. This suggests targeted interventions may be working. However, the school faces a significant challenge: its 6th graders attend the nearby Kirby Stem Academy 6th Grade, which also struggles academically, meaning students often enter Kirby Middle with academic deficits. The school's higher per-student spending ($11,052) and low class sizes are resources that have not yet translated into broad-based success in standard subjects, but they appear critical to the outstanding performance seen in advanced courses.