Alex Sanger Preparatory School, Dallas TX

Original Research by School Decision on Alex Sanger Preparatory School

Alex Sanger Preparatory School is a Dallas ISD campus serving prekindergarten through eighth grade, located on San Leandro Drive in the 75218 zip code on Dallas's east side, near White Rock Lake. It is a regular public school, not a charter, and carries the "preparatory" name as part of its identity within the district.

The school serves a moderately sized PK-8 population. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a meaningful share of white students, a smaller Black population, and smaller groups of other backgrounds. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a working- and middle-class economic mix. English learner and special education rates were not available in the data provided.

On the Texas STAAR assessment, the overall picture is stronger than many families might expect from a Dallas ISD school. Across subjects and grades, Sanger places in the top quartile relative to districts in Dallas County, which is a real distinction in a county with dozens of school systems ranging widely in performance. Reading and writing results across the tested grades are consistently solid, with most grade levels reaching proficiency at or above half, and the seventh and eighth grade ELA results are genuinely strong. Math tells a more varied story: upper-elementary and eighth grade results are competitive, but sixth grade math proficiency drops noticeably, and the small number of third graders tested on the Spanish-language STAAR had a very low proficiency rate, though the group size there limits conclusions. Fifth grade science proficiency is lower than the ELA and late-middle-school math results, and eighth grade social studies sits in the middle range. A parent wanting to understand the dip in sixth grade math or the science trajectory would be well served asking the school directly about supports during that transition year.

Texas reports STAAR results at three performance levels: approaches grade level, meets grade level, and masters grade level. Schoolwide, the approaches rate is strong, meaning a large majority of students are at or above the baseline standard. The meets rate, which reflects more solid grade-level command, sits around mid-range. The masters rate, representing the highest tier, is lower across subjects, with social studies masters particularly thin. This pattern is worth understanding: many students are clearing the floor but fewer are performing at the top tier.

Multi-year trend data was not available; the data presented covers only the current school year, so it is not possible to say whether these results represent an improvement, a plateau, or a decline.

On the district side, there are several publicly reported developments that bear on Sanger families. Dallas ISD recently shifted to an opt-out model for advanced coursework, meaning students who test well are automatically enrolled in honors-level classes unless a family declines. That change, reported by The 74, substantially broadened participation in college-preparatory work across the district. The district also adopted a new math curriculum and eliminated its internal interim testing, reducing test-prep time while keeping the state STAAR in place. In May 2026, ISD voters approved a record bond package, the largest school bond in Texas history, aimed at replacing aging campuses, eliminating portable classrooms, and upgrading safety and technology over roughly the next decade. Whether Sanger is among the campuses slated for renovation or replacement under that plan is a question families should direct to the district.

Housing near the school runs well above Texas state benchmarks, placing it among the more expensive parts of Dallas. Monthly rents in the zip code have edged down slightly year over year, while home values are essentially flat. The area is within reach of White Rock Lake, Fair Park, and the broader east Dallas residential fabric, which carries a mix of postwar ranch homes and updated bungalows. Dallas overall is car-dependent outside its walkable core districts, and the San Leandro address is a typical suburban Dallas commute to most parts of the city.

Graduation rate data does not apply here because Sanger serves only through eighth grade.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 320%

School 20% · District 19% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 453%

School 53% · District 21% · ▲ 32 pts above district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 554%

School 54% · District 46% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 634%

School 34% · District 32% · ▲ 2 pts above district

even with state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 872%

School 72% · District 39% · ▲ 33 pts above district

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 35 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 361%

School 61% · District 50% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 453%

School 53% · District 52% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Grade 569%

School 69% · District 58% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 663%

School 63% · District 48% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 763%

School 63% · District 48% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Grade 873%

School 73% · District 52% · ▲ 21 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 26 pts above county median

Science

Grade 532%

School 32% · District 13% · ▲ 19 pts above district

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

Social studies

Grade 848%

School 48% · District 27% · ▲ 21 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

This schoolDALLAS 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income46%Higher-income79%33 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income43%Higher-income73%30 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income47%Higher-income95%48 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income51%Higher-income91%40 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income54%Higher-income89%35 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income68%Higher-income100%32 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income43%Higher-income77%34 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income47%Higher-income74%27 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income26%Higher-income52%26 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income64%Higher-income95%31 pp gap