The reported proficiency rate for Social studies is 18%.
Original Research by School Decision on East Central Cast Lead H S
East Central CAST Lead High School sits on the southeastern edge of San Antonio, on FM 1628 in zip code 78263, well outside the city's dense urban core. The school operates as a charter school within East Central ISD, serving grades eight through twelve, and carries a career-and-technical-education identity in its name. The school's small enrollment, spread across those five grade levels, makes it one of the smaller secondary campuses in the district. No program details were available in the data, so a parent interested in the specific career pathways or dual-credit offerings should ask the school directly.
The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller shares of white and Black students, and a few students of other backgrounds. A majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on English learner enrollment and special education participation was not available.
On Texas STAAR assessments, the picture is mixed and deserves a clear-eyed read. Across all tested subjects and grade levels, roughly two-thirds of students reach the "approaches grade level" threshold, meaning they clear the minimum bar. Science reaches a similar rate at the approaches level. Social studies stands out: nearly all students tested reach approaches, and a substantial share reach the "meets" threshold, which reflects genuine grade-level mastery. ELA and math follow lower trajectories at the meets level. The share of students reaching "masters grade level," the highest Texas benchmark, is quite low across every subject. Placed against districts in Bexar County, the school's overall proficiency index sits in the bottom quartile of that comparison set. A parent weighing academic rigor should probe what additional supports or accelerated pathways the school offers beyond the baseline curriculum.
Trend data is available for only one year, so there is no way from the current data to assess whether results are improving, holding steady, or declining. Graduation rate data was not available.
On chronic absenteeism, the data was not reported, so that cannot be addressed here.
The district context matters for any family considering this school. East Central ISD publicly reported as having the lowest property tax rate and the lowest per-pupil spending in Bexar County, and it is managing both rapid enrollment growth and a recurring budget deficit. Voters rejected an operating tax increase in late 2025. A bond that voters approved in May 2025 will fund a new high school and two elementary schools to address severe overcrowding, with the high school expected to open in fall 2028, though a modest tax rate increase tied to that bond does not take effect until 2027. The district is also opening a new career and technical education building and a college-and-career preparatory middle school for 2026-27, changes that will shift attendance zones and add academic pathways. Families should check directly with the district on how any zone changes affect CAST Lead enrollment.
The housing market near this school reflects the broader San Antonio southeast edge, where home values run somewhat above the Texas state benchmark but below the national median, and recent values have been roughly flat year over year. San Antonio as a whole is one of the faster-growing metros in the country, with publicly reported figures showing it added more new residents than any other U.S. metro in 2024, and the southeast corridor where this school sits is part of that growth. New school construction, adjusted attendance boundaries, and ongoing budget pressures are all live variables a family relocating to the area should track closely before settling on this campus.
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