Best Public Schools in Zip Code 78216

Zip code 78216 in San Antonio is home to 10 schools serving elementary through high school grades, offering a diverse mix of traditional public, charter, and alternative institutions within the North East Independent School District (Isd), Great Hearts Texas, Basis Texas, and Somerset Academies Of Texas.

The clear academic standout is Basis San Antonio- Pri North Central Campus, a charter elementary school ranked in the 93rd percentile statewide with over 80% of students proficient in Reading and over 67% in Math. Among traditional public schools, Churchill High School leads with a 56th percentile rank and strong U.S. History and Biology scores, while middle schools Nimitz Middle and Eisenhower Middle struggle with 1-star ratings and very low math proficiency—only 0.77% of 7th graders at Nimitz and 6.83% at Eisenhower were proficient in Math. The Alter High School and Alter Middle alternative schools serve a high-needs population with extraordinary resources, spending up to $288,883 per student and maintaining student-teacher ratios near 1:1, resulting in near-zero dropout rates.

Key takeaways include a stark contrast between high-performing charters like Basis and struggling traditional schools with high poverty rates, such as Ridgeview Elementary (82.75% free/reduced lunch) and Somerset Academy Lone Star (80.61%). Middle school math is a critical weakness across the zip code, far below state averages. A curious data point shows 100% of 6th-grade students proficient in Math at Ridgeview and Harmony Hills Elementary, likely an artifact of advanced students taking higher-level tests. Overall, parents face a wide spectrum of options, from elite charters to resource-intensive alternative programs, with traditional NEISD schools showing mixed results tied to socioeconomic challenges.