Career And College Development Center

The Career And College Development Center in Weslaco, TX, is a very small alternative high school within the Weslaco Independent School District (Isd), serving just 50 students in grades 9-12 and located in a community where 98% of its students come from low-income households.

This school faces significant academic challenges, with state test scores that are dramatically lower than any other high school in the region. For the 2025-2026 school year, the school recorded 0% proficiency in both Algebra I and English II Reading, and only 11.11% in English I Reading. To put this in perspective, the nearby Weslaco High School posted proficiency rates of 75.8% and 56.68% in those same subjects. Even when compared to other alternative schools serving similar populations, the Career And College Development Center struggles; for instance, Premier H S Of Weslaco achieved 64.71% proficiency in Algebra I and 50% in English II. The school also has a surprisingly high student-teacher ratio of 25:1 for its small size, which is much higher than the 16.2:1 ratio at the larger Weslaco East High School.

Despite its name suggesting a focus on post-secondary readiness, the data indicates the school likely functions as a credit recovery or "last chance" campus for students who have struggled in traditional settings. The lack of historical data, including any graduation or dropout rates, makes it difficult to assess long-term effectiveness. This school stands in stark contrast to high-performing magnet schools less than 3 miles away, such as the South Texas Independent School District (Isd) Science Academy and South Texas Independent School District (Isd) Health Professions, which rank in the 88th and 93rd percentiles statewide and have proficiency rates above 80%.