Summary:
This analysis examines five high schools in the 78238 zip code of San Antonio, Texas, serving grades 9-12, which range from a large traditional public school to several small alternative and charter programs.
The area is dominated by Holmes High School, a large institution with 2,422 students that serves as the benchmark for the area. As part of the Northside Independent School District (Isd), Holmes achieves a strong 93.9% graduation rate and consistently scores highest on STAAR EOC tests across all core subjects, though it still lags behind district and state averages. In stark contrast, Premier High School-San Antonio Ingram stands out for its severe challenges, with a 41.9% graduation rate and a 10.4% dropout rate—over ten times the district average. This school also has the highest student-to-teacher ratio (38.6:1) and the lowest spending per student ($8,543). Meanwhile, Southwest Preparatory School-Northwest demonstrates that small schools can succeed, achieving a 94.7% graduation rate with a low student-to-teacher ratio (10.2:1) and higher spending ($11,478 per student), though its test scores are significantly lower than Holmes's. The Nisd Bexar County Jja is a unique Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program with only 26 students and a 0% dropout rate, while Texasworks - San Antonio-Ingram has minimal data available.
A key takeaway is that charter schools in this zip code do not universally outperform the traditional public school. While Southwest Prep matches Holmes's graduation rate, its academic proficiency is lower, and Premier High underperforms in nearly every metric. Additionally, Algebra I is a systemic weakness across all schools, with proficiency rates far below the state average of 54.03%—for example, Holmes at 37.5%, Southwest Prep at 21.43%, and Premier at 18.18%. This suggests a critical need for improved math instruction throughout the area, affecting both traditional and charter schools alike.
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