Idea Ambrose and Freda Robinson College Preparator, San Antonio TX

Original Research by School Decision on Idea Ambrose and Freda Robinson College Preparator

IDEA Ambrose and Freda Robinson College Preparatory serves grades six through eight and enrolls a small student body in south San Antonio. It is a charter school within IDEA Public Schools, a network that operates across Texas and serves predominantly Hispanic, economically low-income student populations.

The school's enrollment is small but reflects the neighborhood it serves. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller shares of Black and white students. No state testing data was available for English language learner or special education enrollment shares.

On state testing, the school shows an uneven academic profile. In English language arts, proficiency (meeting or exceeding grade-level standard) is strongest in eighth grade, where it reaches about the three-quarters mark. Sixth and seventh grade ELA proficiency sits lower, near or below the halfway point. In mathematics, proficiency is substantially weaker across all grades, with sixth and seventh grade results in the low-to-mid range and eighth grade only marginally higher. Social studies proficiency in eighth grade is low, in the low-thirds. Science performance broadly follows the math pattern, with students clustering in the approaches-standard level rather than meeting it. The school's overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint among tested schools in Bexar County, though state testing results suggest this reflects strength concentrated in eighth-grade English language arts rather than broad mastery.

The charter operates within IDEA Public Schools, which has undergone significant change. In March 2024, the Texas Education Agency placed the network under conservatorship following a years-long investigation into improper spending and financial irregularities. As part of a settlement, IDEA is repaying a substantial amount to the federal government in monthly installments through December 2026. The network has installed new board members and executive leadership, expanded compliance staff, and strengthened internal audit procedures. A parent may want to look into how these changes have affected the day-to-day operations and resource allocation at this campus and track updates as the conservatorship unfolds.

The school is located in south San Antonio, an area experiencing steady growth. Housing values in the zip code are moderate relative to the state benchmark and have declined slightly year over year. Rental costs have similarly softened. San Antonio overall is one of the fastest-growing U.S. cities, with development concentrated in newer suburban areas like Stone Oak and Alamo Ranch; this school sits outside those growth zones, in a more established residential part of the city. The location sits away from downtown's walkable River Walk district and from the concentrated employment hubs in healthcare, military, and technology.

The school website was not available in the data provided, so course offerings, after-school programming, and other program details remain unknown. State testing participation rates were also not provided. A parent considering this school would benefit from visiting the campus directly and speaking with school leadership about the academic supports being deployed, particularly in mathematics and social studies where proficiency is lower, and about how the school is navigating the district-level governance changes underway.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 635%

School 35% · District 34% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 732%

School 32% · District 41% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 651%

School 51% · District 52% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 749%

School 49% · District 52% · ▼ 3 pts below district

even with state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 872%

School 72% · District 60% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 831%

School 31% · District 28% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

This schoolIDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income45%Higher-income64%19 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income48%Higher-income50%2 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income68%Higher-income79%11 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income26%Higher-income55%29 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income31%Higher-income33%2 pp gap