Summary:
The 13 schools in Houston's 77023 zip code, serving elementary through high school grades within the Houston Independent School District (Isd), KIPP Texas Public Schools, and George I Sanchez Charter, present a stark divide between a few exceptional magnet programs and many struggling neighborhood schools, all while serving a predominantly high-poverty community with an average free/reduced lunch rate of 86%.
The standout performers are two HISD magnet schools. Project Chrysalis Middle is a 5-star school ranking in the top 3% of Texas middle schools, with Algebra I proficiency (80.82%) far exceeding the state average (54.03%). Nearby, Eastwood Academy is a top-tier high school with a 98% graduation rate and 0% dropout rate. In contrast, most other schools are rated 2 stars or below. For example, Navarro Middle, located just a mile from Project Chrysalis and serving a similarly high-poverty population, is a 2-star school ranking in the 47th percentile. Austin High School also struggles with a 76% graduation rate and a 6.1% dropout rate. The three KIPP Texas Public Schools—KIPP Explore Academy, KIPP East End High School, and KIPP Intrepid Preparatory—all hold 2-star ratings and perform below state averages, challenging the idea that charters universally outperform traditional public schools here.
The two alternative schools face the most severe challenges. Community Services-Sec has a 57.8% dropout rate and a 1.3% graduation rate, with per-student spending of $85,649 reflecting the high cost of serving its high-needs population. George I Sanchez Charter shows proficiency rates in the single digits for core subjects. Among elementary schools, only Henderson J Elementary (a 4-star school with 5th-grade reading and math proficiency above 78%) and Cage Elementary perform well, while Carrillo Elementary and Lantrip Elementary lag behind state averages, creating a weak foundation that likely feeds into the area's middle and high school struggles.
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