Original Research by School Decision on Hac Daep Middle
HAC DAEP Middle is an alternative middle school in San Antonio serving grades seven and eight within Harlandale ISD. The school is very small, with fewer than twenty students total across both grade levels. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with nearly all students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a population facing significant economic hardship.
The school operates as a Disciplinary Alternative Education Program, which means it serves students who have been removed from traditional classroom settings due to behavioral or disciplinary issues. This is the core function that shapes the school's mission and daily operations. Parents considering this school should understand that DAEP placement is not a choice but rather a mandatory assignment following specific infractions or behavioral patterns in a student's home school. The school exists to provide structured, focused instruction in a smaller setting designed to address behavioral patterns while maintaining academic progress.
State assessment data from 2016-17 show that only one student in eighth grade was tested in both mathematics and English language arts at this school, making detailed performance reporting impossible. The state suppressed proficiency results because the tested numbers were too small for statistical reliability. This reflects the extreme smallness of the enrollment and is typical for alternative schools serving very small populations. Without recent testing data, parents cannot assess current academic proficiency levels at the school. A parent may want to contact the school directly to ask about current student achievement patterns and what academic supports are in place to help students who may have fallen behind in their home schools.
The school's address is in the 78214 zip code on San Antonio's south side. This area contains homes with a median value somewhat below the Texas state benchmark, and rental costs run lower than the national average as well, reflecting a neighborhood with more modest housing costs. The area is part of a region where unemployment is near the national average and median household income is moderate.
San Antonio itself is growing rapidly, ranking among the fastest-growing U.S. cities. The region is anchored by healthcare and bioscience employment, military installations, finance, retail, and a growing IT and cybersecurity cluster. The city blends a walkable, historic downtown along the River Walk with sprawling suburban neighborhoods. Inner-city areas feature historic single-family homes and mixed-use blocks, while newer outer areas are suburban subdivisions.
Without recent graduation data, comprehensive program inventories, or detailed staffing information, a complete picture of the school's academic and support structures is not available from the data at hand. Parents interested in understanding what led to their student's placement, what the daily structure looks like, what happens after DAEP, and how the school coordinates with the home school on re-entry would benefit from a direct conversation with Harlandale ISD's alternative education office and the school's administrative team.
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