Terrell Wells Middle, San Antonio TX

Original Research by School Decision on Terrell Wells Middle

Terrell Wells Middle is a regular public middle school serving grades six through eight in San Antonio's South Side. It enrolls roughly six hundred students, nearly all Hispanic and predominantly from families of modest means. Reading the test results first: the school is struggling. In English language arts across the three grades, proficiency ranges from about a third to just over a third. In math, sixth and seventh graders are deeply underwater, with proficiency near one-fifth and one-tenth respectively, though eighth graders show meaningful recovery at about one-half. Science and social studies proficiency in eighth grade are both weak, landing below a third and near one-tenth. When you look across all subjects and grades together, the school sits below the midpoint of academic performance relative to other districts in Bexar County.

The math picture deserves a closer read. The sharp jump from seventh to eighth grade suggests either real improvement in that cohort of students, a change in instruction or curriculum, or a genuine gain. It may be worth asking the school directly what shifted. That pattern is uncommon, and understanding it could signal something about what works in eighth-grade math there.

The enrollment is stable and reflective of its neighborhood. About four-fifths of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating concentrated poverty. The student body is almost entirely Hispanic. Neither special education nor English learner data was available in the public reporting, which is common; a parent may want to ask the school directly about these service populations and how they are supported.

San Antonio is experiencing rapid growth, with new housing and development spreading across the city, though Terrell Wells sits in an area of older, more established neighborhoods rather than the newest growth zones. The housing market in this zip code shows modest values and rents, reflecting the economic profile of families the school serves. Renters and buyers here are carrying meaningful cost burdens relative to income.

State testing data shows only the 2024-25 school year, so trend information was not available. The school's course offerings, staffing profile, discipline data, attendance rates, and any magnet or specialized programming did not appear in public records. The district brief contained limited reporting on recent changes or initiatives. A parent considering this school may want to schedule a visit and speak directly with administrators about curricular priorities, support for struggling readers and math learners, and any improvement efforts underway, especially in seventh-grade math where performance is very low.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 618%

School 18% · District 17% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 78%

School 8% · District 11% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 853%

School 53% · District 35% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 634%

School 34% · District 39% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 736%

School 36% · District 36%

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 833%

School 33% · District 39% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Science

Grade 827%

School 27% · District 31% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 88%

School 8% · District 18% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

This schoolHARLANDALE 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 6Lower-income32%Higher-income42%10 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income31%Higher-income54%23 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income31%Higher-income41%10 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income17%Higher-income26%9 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income8%Higher-income11%3 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income52%Higher-income56%4 pp gap