Youth Ctr of High Plains, Amarillo TX

Original Research by School Decision on Youth Ctr of High Plains

Youth Center of High Plains is an alternative school serving grades five through twelve in Amarillo. It is a small school, with an enrollment of about fifty students spread across a wide grade band. The student body is diverse, with close to half identifying as Hispanic, roughly a third as white, and a significant share as Black. A small portion of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

State assessment data for this school comes with important caveats. The school had very few students take Texas state assessments in tested grades and subjects; for example, only a handful of sixth-grade students took the math and reading tests, and single-digit numbers in seventh and eighth grade. Because enrollment is so small, proficiency rates based on just a few students can shift dramatically on individual student performance. On the data available: in seventh-grade math, about a fifth of students tested met proficiency. In eighth-grade math and science, none of the small tested group met proficiency. In eighth-grade reading, about a sixth of those tested did. In eighth-grade social studies, none met the proficiency mark. The school's sixth-grade assessment numbers are too small to report meaningfully. A parent may want to ask the school directly about its assessment participation, testing accommodations, and how it interprets these results given the very small sample sizes.

The school is a public non-charter alternative school operated by Canyon ISD. Alternative schools typically serve students whose needs, circumstances, or prior academic paths are not met in traditional comprehensive high schools. This particular school may serve students requiring specialized support, flexible scheduling, recovery from academic setbacks, or other individualized pathways. Information about the school's specific mission, program model, course offerings, and student support services was not available, so parents should contact the school to understand what alternatives it provides and whether they match their student's needs.

The broader context matters. Canyon ISD faces significant budget constraints: voters have rejected property-tax increases in two consecutive elections, and the district is managing a substantial structural deficit. The district is also managing rapid growth, particularly on Amarillo's south side where this school is located. These circumstances affect district-wide resources and staffing in ways that can ripple into individual schools. Downtown Amarillo itself is revitalizing, with new mixed-use development, cultural venues, and civic investment, though the broader area remains car-dependent. Housing in the surrounding zip code is moderately priced relative to state and national benchmarks, and rental costs have been rising.

Parents considering this school should speak directly with staff about curriculum, academic supports, elective or career pathways, class size, and how the school tailors instruction to its students' individual circumstances and goals.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

Not publicly reportedCohort of 5 students · Class of 2021

The federal source does not publish a graduation rate for cohorts this small. The cohort size is shown for context.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

1,779 schools plotted. 59 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 720%

School 20% · District 29% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median

Grade 80%

School 0% · District 70% · ▼ 70 pts below district

▼ 42 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 817%

School 17% · District 68% · ▼ 51 pts below district

▼ 38 pts below state median

Science

Grade 80%

School 0% · District 65% · ▼ 65 pts below district

▼ 42 pts below state median

Social studies

Grade 80%

School 0% · District 35% · ▼ 35 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median

This schoolCANYON ISD, 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.