Original Research by School Decision on Frank M Tejeda Academy
Frank M Tejeda Academy is an alternative high school in San Antonio, serving grades nine through twelve. Located on the southeast side of the city near Loop 410, it enrolls a small cohort drawn almost entirely from the south San Antonio area. The student body is overwhelmingly Hispanic, and nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, marking the school as serving a low-income population with few resources outside the school.
As an alternative school, Tejeda Academy exists outside the usual comprehensive high school track. These schools typically serve students who have faced barriers in traditional settings, including those with interrupted school histories, behavioral concerns, or other circumstances that led them to disengage. The alternative pathway is a deliberate choice for both the district and families, not a failure on the student's part; parents and students may select this model precisely because it offers a smaller, more structured, or more flexible learning environment than a traditional high school would provide.
The academic picture here is mixed and reflects the complexity of alternative schooling. State testing results from the most recent year show that slightly more than half of students reached the "approaches grade level" threshold across all subjects combined. In English language arts, a smaller share met that floor. Mathematics performance was notably lower, with a substantial majority of students testing below approaches level, and none reaching the highest proficiency tier. Science was a bright spot, with strong proficiency in the approaches category. Social studies proficiency was the highest across subjects. These patterns suggest that students here are making gains in some domains and facing steeper challenges in others, particularly in mathematics, where the school may want to examine curriculum, instruction, or student support.
No multi-year trend data was available, so it is unclear whether performance is rising, stable, or declining. A parent may want to ask the school directly about performance trajectory and what interventions are in place for mathematics. The comparison set for alternative schools or for this particular school's peers within the county is not available in the data, so it is not possible to say whether these results are typical for alternative schools in the region or whether they stand out.
The school reported no students flagged for special education or English learner status in the available data, though this absence may reflect data collection gaps rather than the actual composition of the population. A parent should clarify this directly with the school.
State testing data on graduation rates was not available. For an alternative school, graduation rate is an important metric that speaks directly to whether the model is working for its students. A parent considering this school should ask for the cohort graduation rate and whether the school tracks persistence over time.
San Antonio itself is growing rapidly and is anchored by healthcare, military, and technology sectors. The southeast side where this school sits is a lower-income area with modest housing values and rental costs below county averages. The city's rapid population growth is concentrated in newer suburban areas, leaving inner and south neighborhoods with older housing stock and fewer new amenities. This context matters because it shapes peer composition, family mobility, and the resources available to students' households.
Frank M Tejeda Academy is a place for families seeking an alternative to the traditional high school environment. It is small, serves a specific population, and has a clear mission centered on students who need a different pathway. The academic data suggests uneven performance with real strengths in science and social studies but a need for support in mathematics. Prospective families should understand this as a deliberate alternative choice and should ask the school about its graduation outcomes, student support systems, and what academic recovery looks like in mathematics.
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