Summary:
The 78244 zip code in San Antonio, Texas, is home to 11 schools serving students from Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade, with the vast majority belonging to the Judson Independent School District (Isd), a district ranked in the 21st percentile statewide and facing significant challenges related to high economic disadvantage, as evidenced by an average free/reduced lunch rate of 81% across its schools.
The standout performer in the area is Woodlake Hills Middle, which consistently outperforms its district peers and often the state in advanced coursework like Algebra I and Biology, despite a 75% free/reduced lunch rate, and it also boasts the lowest student-to-teacher ratio (12.2:1) among Judson ISD schools. In contrast, Woodlake Elementary is the most struggling school, ranking in the 2nd percentile for two consecutive years with critically low math proficiency (e.g., 8% in 4th grade) and the highest student-to-teacher ratio (19.4:1). Spring Meadows Elementary showed the most dramatic improvement, jumping from the 9th to the 30th percentile in state rankings year-over-year. At the high school level, Karen Wagner High School has a graduation rate of 79.9% and a dropout rate of 4.5%, both significantly worse than the district averages.
A key finding is the "advanced coursework paradox" in middle schools, where standard grade-level math scores are very low but a select group of students excels in advanced courses like Algebra I. The San Antonio Steam Academy is an anomaly, with a very low free/reduced lunch rate (2.16%) and the highest per-student spending ($15,942), yet its test scores are generally below state averages, suggesting that high spending and low poverty alone do not guarantee academic success. Overall, the data reveals a system under pressure from poverty, with the success of Woodlake Hills Middle serving as a notable exception that highlights the potential of targeted acceleration for high-performing students.
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