Summary:
Zip code 78610 in Buda, Texas, is home to four high schools within the Hays Consolidated Independent School District, serving grades 9-12 with a mix of large comprehensive campuses and specialized alternative programs.
For parents, the standout traditional high school is Moe And Gene Johnson High School, which earns a 4-star rating and ranks in the 70th percentile statewide, leading the area in Biology, English I, and English II proficiency. Its main competitor, Jack C Hays High School, holds a 3-star rating and a 66th percentile rank, but excels with the highest graduation rate (94.8%) and lowest dropout rate (0.8%) among the four schools. This creates a clear trade-off: Johnson appears more academically rigorous, while Hays may be more effective at supporting all students to graduation, possibly aided by its lower student-teacher ratio (17.9 vs. 19.6). Both schools outperform the district average in core subjects like Biology and English, though the district leads in Algebra I, suggesting other HCISD campuses excel there.
The alternative schools serve different missions entirely. Live Oak Academy and Alter Impact Center have low enrollments (184 and 70) and rank in the bottom 20% of Texas high schools, with test scores far below state averages. However, Alter Impact Center is a notable outlier with a 0% dropout rate, a 1.9:1 student-teacher ratio, and per-student spending of $137,935—over 14 times higher than the comprehensive schools—indicating an intensive, individualized program for students who struggled elsewhere. Both alternative schools serve higher percentages of students from low-income backgrounds, a common trend in educational data. Overall, the 78610 area offers strong traditional options with Johnson and Hays, while the alternative campuses provide critical support for specific student needs.
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