Rayburn Middle

Rayburn Middle in San Antonio, TX, serves 600 students in grades 6-8 within the Northside Independent School District (Isd), a high-poverty community where 84% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. The school has experienced a persistent downward trend over the past decade, dropping from the 28th percentile statewide in 2017-2018 to the 7th percentile in 2025-2026, placing it in the bottom 10% of Texas middle schools. This decline is most severe in mathematics, where proficiency rates are alarmingly low—for example, only 2.59% of 7th graders are proficient in math, compared to the state average of 29.41%, making it the lowest score among comparable nearby schools.

Compared to other schools in the area, Rayburn stands out for its consistent underperformance. Nearby schools like Sharon Christa McAuliffe Middle and Francis R Scobee Middle in Southwest Independent School District (Isd) serve similar or higher poverty rates but outperform Rayburn in nearly every subject. For instance, Scobee Middle (36th percentile) has reading scores near the state average and math scores significantly higher than Rayburn's. Even within its own district, Rayburn is the lowest-performing middle school, falling below Pease Middle and Jones Middle in every subject and grade level.

Despite these challenges, there are notable bright spots. Rayburn's Gifted and Talented students rank in the 33rd percentile, significantly higher than the overall school, and its Algebra I End-of-Course exam results (41.94% proficient) are close to the state average, suggesting effective instruction for accelerated learners. However, this success highlights a critical gap: the school must urgently scale these strategies to support its general student population, especially in math. Smaller alternative schools like Jubilee School Of Innovation And Arts and Lighthouse Middle have shown dramatic improvement with similar poverty rates, indicating that targeted interventions can make a difference. For parents, Rayburn's data underscores a need for focused support in math and a potential opportunity to leverage its strong programs for higher-performing students.