Texas is a great state and is known to have some of the best public schools in the U.S. For 2015 rankings of best schools, over 400 Texas schools got a place.
This goes to show that indeed there are a lot of amazing schools in the state and if you have a family with kids that are of school age, finding a good school to enroll them in will not be a problem.
Examples of these awesome schools include; Carnegie Vanguard High School in Houston as well as the Liberal Arts and Science Academy in Austin.
Different factors are put into consideration before an area can be said to be an amazing public school district. These include; resources and facilities, sports/fitness opportunities, quality of teaching, student culture and diversity, as well as extracurricular activities.
The state of these factors in these schools determine whether they can be classified as great public schools or not.
If you have children, of course you would want a good school district so that your children can get quality education. We have put together a list of some of the best school districts in Texas for your perusal.
Top Texas School Districts
- South Texas Independent School District
- Highland Park Independent School District
- Westlake Academy Charter School
- Carroll Independent School District
- Alamo Heights Independent School District
- Eanes Independent School District
- Plano Independent School District
1. South Texas Independent School District
The South Texas Independent School District is made up of six magnet schools for both junior high school and high school students. It covers Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy counties.
Offering services to about 3,353 students, the South Texas Independent School District is really doing a good job when it comes to education and about 93% of students from there meet up with the state set standards for reading proficiency and math.
With an annual budget of $41,859,000, the district spends an average of about $12,931 on a student.
2. Highland Park Independent School District
In 2014 there was some controversy surrounding the Highland Park Independent School District when they banned seven books that was formerly used in high school English classes. This was however later reversed after they got negative feedback due to that move.
That notwithstanding the school district in University Park, Dallas is doing a very good job and 98% of students from there meet Texas proficiency standards in math and reading. As at 2015, nine schools catered to about 7,000 students in grades PK and K-12.
3. Westlake Academy Charter School
For students in Westlake, Texas, the Westlake Academy Charter School is a really good choice. Before students can be admitted into the institution, they have to not just apply, but also meet the requirements for admission.
They have a “primary years” and “middle years” programme and you can take advantage of the admission lottery that they offer. There is no doubt that they are doing a very good job as 94% of their students meet Texas standards for proficiency in reading and/or math.
The district has a yearly budget of $5,772,000 and an average of $9,355 is spent on a student.
4. Carroll Independent School District
The Carroll Independent School District is quite popular not just for how good they are with academics but because they are also very good when it comes to sports. Without a doubt, this district has earned its position as one of the best school district in the state of Texas.
The district mostly serves Southlake, Texas, and has about 7,800 students going to 12 schools in grades PK and K-12. When it comes to the state proficiency standards in reading and/or math about 98% of the students there hit the mark and that is really impressive.
With a yearly budget of $113,191,000, an average of about $14,700 is spent on each student.
5. Alamo Heights Independent School District
The Alamo Heights Independent School District covers San Antonio Central Township. It takes care of about 4,800 students in six schools. The district is doing a good job as 88% of students there meet the state’s proficiency standards for reading and math.
They have a yearly budget of $93,271,000 and an average of $19,411 is spent on each student.
6. Eanes Independent School District
In 2015, the Eanes Independent School District took care of about 8,000 students that were going to six elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school. It covers Austin, Texas and 96% of students there meet Texas proficiency standard in reading and math.
They have a yearly budget of $143,648,000 and an average of $18,409 is spent on each student.
7. Plano Independent School District
Covering Plano, Texas and with about 54,800 students going to 85 schools including Pre-K programs, elementary, middle school and high school, the Plano Independent School District stands as one of the largest in the area.
They are doing a marvelous job as 88% of their students meet the state’s proficiency standard for math and reading. They have a yearly budget of $595,680,000 and an average of $10,702 is spent on each student.
Top Ranked Texas Schools
Texas Education Agency has it that for Texan students to be done with the high school foundation program, they should earn 22 credit hours. Students can also choose to have a higher number of credits for one of five endorsements such as STEM. Successful learning is gauged by the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness end-of-course exams.
- BASIS San Antonio- Shavano Campus
- The School for the Talented and Gifted (TAG)
- Carnegie Vanguard High School
- Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School
- Young Women’s Leadership Academy
- Science and Engineering Magnet School (SEM)
- Health Careers High School
- Judge Barefoot Sanders Law Magnet
- DeBakey High School for Health Professions
- Liberal Arts and Science Academy (LASA)
How to register a child for school in Texas
- Locate Your School District
- Understand Admission and Eligibility Requirements
- Get Your Child Immunized
- Parent Resources
More info here.
How Does Texas Education Compare to the Rest of the U.S.?
When it comes to education in the U.S, Texas comes in at the 34th place. The factors that are put into consideration to arrive at this placement include; preschool enrollment, high school graduation, number of adults with college degrees as well as school performance.
On a closer look, you will see that Texas is placed on the 35th place with regards to preschool through high school education and ranks 31st when it comes to higher education.
If you have children or you are planning on it, making sure that there are good schools where you can enroll them, is an important factor that you should put into consideration before deciding on the place to live in Texas.
