Summary:
Zip code 79102 in Amarillo, Texas, is home to two high schools within the Amarillo Independent School District (Isd) that serve grades 9-12 but offer vastly different educational experiences. Tascosa High School is a large, traditional comprehensive school with 2,176 students, while Amtech Career Academy is a specialized career academy with only 22 students, creating a stark contrast in scale and focus.
The most striking difference is in per-student spending, where Amtech Career Academy spends an extraordinary $391,219 per student—over 40 times more than Tascosa's $9,346—a figure driven by its tiny enrollment and fixed operational costs. Amtech also boasts a 0% dropout rate and a low free/reduced lunch rate of 13.64%, compared to Tascosa's 53.17%, indicating the two schools serve very different student populations. However, Amtech lacks recent STAAR test score data, making direct academic comparisons impossible. Tascosa, meanwhile, shows a consistent 3-star rating and performs well in U.S. History (73.32% proficient) and Biology (67.9%), but has a critical weakness in Algebra I, where only 33.83% of students are proficient—far below the district average of 55.92% and state average of 54.03%.
For parents, the key takeaway is that these schools cater to different needs. Tascosa offers a broad, traditional high school experience with strong performance in several subjects, but its Algebra I gap is a significant concern for college readiness. Amtech provides a highly specialized, small-school environment with low dropout rates, but its academic outcomes are not measurable through standard tests. The district's overall graduation rate is 93.5%, with Tascosa at 91.5%, suggesting both schools generally support student completion, though the path to that diploma varies greatly.
Thank you for your feedback!