Best High Schools in Zip Code 78244

Zip code 78244 in San Antonio, TX, is home to two vastly different high schools: Karen Wagner High School, a large traditional public school serving grades 9-12, and San Antonio Steam Academy, a small charter school serving grades 5-12.

Karen Wagner High School, part of the Judson Independent School District (Isd), is a large school with 2,423 students and a high percentage of students eligible for free/reduced lunch (76.39%). Its graduation rate is 79.9%, and its state ranking places it in the 20th percentile. While its test scores are below state averages in most subjects, U.S. History is a relative strength, coming within 3 percentage points of the state average. The school has shown a slight upward trend, with its Algebra I proficiency rate improving from 18.61% to 23.88% in the most recent year. In contrast, San Antonio Steam Academy is a very small school (139 students) with a very low free/reduced lunch rate (2.16%) and spends nearly double per student ($15,942 vs. $8,813). Despite this funding advantage, its test scores are not superior and are often lower, including a 0% proficiency rate in Algebra I. The school struggles profoundly with foundational math skills in its middle school grades, with proficiency rates as low as 5.26% in 7th-grade math.

Neither school performs at the state average, but they face distinct challenges. Karen Wagner High School is a large, traditional school serving a high-poverty community, showing signs of gradual improvement. San Antonio Steam Academy, operating as its own independent district, is a well-funded charter school with a different demographic profile but critically low core academic performance, particularly in math. The spending disparity between the two schools does not translate into better academic outcomes, highlighting that factors like school size and student demographics are key drivers of success.