Of the 469 students at Five Palms Elementary School in San Antonio, 445 (95%) weren’t on track for college in the 2023-24 school year, according to San Antonio Standard’s analysis of STAAR scores from the Texas Education Agency (TEA).
The TEA considers students to be on track for college if they demonstrate mastery of the course content through the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR). Students who meet, but do not master their grade level are “prepared to progress to the next grade,” but not yet on college track.
In the 2023-24 school year, Five Palms Elementary School’s student population was made up of 469 students, of which 427 were Hispanic, 19 white, 10 African American, and seven Pacific Islander students.
Data shows that 5.9% of Five Palms Elementary School’s Hispanic students (25) had “mastered” their grade level that year and were “on track for college and career readiness,” as measured by state academic standards.
In the 2022-23 school year, the TEA noted that 474 Five Palms Elementary School students – equivalent to 93% of the student population – were not on the academic path to college eligibility. This contrasts with 2023-24, when the percentage stood at 95%, marking a 2% increase from the previous year.
A recent study by WalletHub classified Texas as one of the least-educated states in the U.S., ranking it 41st out of 50 in educational quality and student outcomes.
Underfunding is a frequently cited challenge facing the state’s school district. According to a 2024 report from the Texas Education Agency, per-pupil funding has not increased since 2019, despite inflation rates rising by more than 20% since then.
“As a result, many districts in our very own Central Texas region are being forced to cut back on essential programs, services, consider school closures, and adopt deficit budgets just to provide students with the education that they deserve,” Hutto ISD Trustee James Matlock stated in an interview.
| School | Total Students | % On College Track |
|---|---|---|
| Alan B. Shepard Middle School | 455 | 8% |
| Alternative School | 70 | 0% |
| Dwight Middle School | 411 | 9% |
| Five Palms Elementary School | 469 | 5% |
| Frank Madla Elementary School | 392 | 6% |
| Hutchins Elementary School | 433 | 8% |
| Miguel Carrillo Junior Elementary School | 462 | 6% |
| Neil Armstrong Elementary School | 325 | 6% |
| Palo Alto Elementary School | 531 | 7% |
| Price Elementary School | 393 | 7% |
| Robert C. Zamora Middle School | 637 | 12% |
| Roy Benavidez Elementary School | 662 | 10% |
| South San Antonio High School | 1,665 | 7% |
| South San Antonio High School – West Campus | 519 | 4% |
Source: Texas Education Agency.
