Essence Preparatory Charter School, TX

Original Research by School Decision on Essence Preparatory Charter School

Essence Preparatory Charter School, a charter district serving pre-K through sixth grade in Bexar County, closed its doors at the end of the 2025-26 school year following a Texas Education Agency order citing persistently low academic performance. The school will not reopen.

The closure came after three consecutive unacceptable state accountability ratings: an F in 2022-23, a D in 2023-24, and an F in 2024-25. Under Texas Education Code, a charter may be revoked if it receives the lowest performance rating in any three of five preceding school years, a threshold Essence Prep met. The academic data underlying this decision shows why the state took action.

In the most recent school year for which results are available, Essence Prep's proficiency rates across tested grades and subjects were among the lowest in Bexar County. In mathematics, proficiency ranged from roughly one in ten students in third and fourth grades down to zero in seventh and eighth grades. English language arts performance was comparatively stronger, with a small majority of third graders meeting or exceeding the proficiency threshold in grade six, but still well below typical district performance. In science, proficiency was sparse: roughly three percent of fifth graders and none of the eighth graders tested at proficient levels. The school's overall proficiency index placed it in the bottom quartile among the county's districts. Chronic absenteeism was also notably high, in the bottom quartile county-wide.

The school enrolled a small student body, around that size for its grade band, with a student population that was predominantly Black, with a smaller Hispanic enrollment and very few white or multiracial students. Free-and-reduced-price lunch eligibility data was not available; special education and English learner enrollment figures were similarly not reported.

In January 2024, mid-way through its operation, Essence Prep moved into a new purpose-built facility designed to hold a substantially larger enrollment across grades PK-8. This campus represented a significant infrastructure investment made before the state's closure order.

The school is no longer in operation, and families who may have been considering it or whose children attended will need to enroll elsewhere for the 2026-27 school year and beyond.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

180

Grades

PK–06

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 22%

Black 74%

White 2%

Two+ 2%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

27%

—

Gr 4

31%

—

Gr 5

19%

—

Gr 6

44%

—

Gr 7

24%

—

Gr 8

31%

—

Math

Gr 3

17%

—

Gr 4

17%

—

Gr 5

—

Gr 6

13%

—

Gr 7

—

Gr 8

—

Science

Gr 5

—

Gr 8

—

Social studies

Gr 8

—

all_subjects_approaches

Gr ALL

—

all_subjects_masters

Gr ALL

—

all_subjects_meets

Gr ALL

—

ela_approaches

Gr ALL

11%

—

ela_masters

Gr ALL

—

ela_meets

Gr ALL

—

math_approaches

Gr ALL

—

math_masters

Gr ALL

—

math_meets

Gr ALL

—

Schools in this District

1 schools are officially reported under this district.

ESSENCE PREPARATORY CHARTER SCHOOL

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

17%

Grade 3

17%

Grade 4

Grade 5

13%

Grade 6

Grade 7

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

27%

Grade 3

31%

Grade 4

22%

Grade 5

44%

Grade 6

24%

Grade 7

31%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

Grade 5

Grade 8

Social Studies

1 grade reported

Grade 8

Data Currently Unavailable

Community & Housing Context
Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.