Summary:
In zip code 79852, there is a single school, Big Bend High School, an alternative K-12 campus serving 121 students in the remote, rural Terlingua Central School District.
Big Bend High School stands out for its exceptional graduation and dropout rates. The school achieved a perfect 100% graduation rate and a 0% dropout rate for the 2023-2024 school year, an impressive feat given that 73.55% of its students are economically disadvantaged. The school maintains a very low student-teacher ratio of 8:1 and spends $17,673 per student, reflecting a resource-intensive model focused on individualized support. However, standardized test scores are consistently below state averages across all subjects and grade levels, with significant year-to-year volatility likely due to very small class sizes.
The most notable finding is the stark contrast between the perfect graduation rate and low test scores. This suggests the school's primary mission is keeping students on track to earn a diploma, prioritizing credit recovery and social-emotional support over test preparation. The low student-teacher ratio and high per-pupil spending appear to be successful strategies for achieving a 100% graduation rate in a high-needs community, even as academic proficiency on state assessments remains a challenge. For parents, this school offers a highly supportive environment focused on ensuring every student graduates, though it may not emphasize high standardized test performance.
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