Best High Schools in Zip Code 77803

Zip code 77803 in Bryan, Texas, is home to three specialized high schools within the Bryan Independent School District (Isd), serving a combined 299 students in grades 7 through 12, all of which are alternative education campuses rather than traditional comprehensive high schools.

The largest school, The Mary Catherine Harris School-School Of Choice, serves 195 students and has the most concerning metrics: a dropout rate of 11.5% (compared to the district's 1.8%), a graduation rate of 78.2% (versus the district's 90.1%), and consistent 1st percentile statewide rankings. In stark contrast, the Disciplinary Alternative Educational Progam (Daep) and Brazos County Juvenile Detention Center report dropout rates of 0.0% and 1.6%, respectively, despite serving students in disciplinary or detention settings. The DAEP spends an extraordinary $79,617 per student with a 6.2:1 student-teacher ratio, yet its academic outcomes remain critically low—only 40% proficient in English II Reading—while the Juvenile Detention Center spends $43,348 per student with a 5.7:1 ratio but shows 0% proficiency in Algebra I and English II Reading.

A key takeaway is that high spending does not guarantee academic success, as the DAEP's massive per-student investment yields only marginal improvements over the lower-spending The Mary Catherine Harris School-School Of Choice ($15,132 per student). The area concentrates at-risk populations, with free/reduced lunch rates ranging from 65% to 88% across all three schools, highlighting the deep link between economic disadvantage and the need for specialized programs. Parents should note that while the DAEP and Juvenile Detention Center maintain low dropout rates due to structured environments, the "School of Choice" paradoxically shows the highest dropout rate, suggesting that alternative settings may struggle to keep students engaged without mandated attendance.