The top reported proficiency rate is 79% in English language arts. The lowest is 55% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Santa Rita El
Santa Rita Elementary sits on South Madison Street in San Angelo, a West Texas city anchored by Goodfellow Air Force Base, Shannon Medical Center, Angelo State University, and San Angelo ISD itself as major employers. The Concho River Walk runs through a downtown that mixes historic commercial buildings with an active arts scene, independent retailers, and civic institutions. Much of the city is car-dependent, though the riverfront corridor offers walkable outdoor life. Housing here is notably more affordable than Texas as a whole, with home values well below the state median and rents that sit comfortably below what a typical mortgage payment would cost, making the area accessible for families at a range of income levels. The market has softened recently, with prices dipping and homes taking longer to sell.
The school serves kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public elementary within San Angelo ISD. Enrollment is moderate for an elementary campus of this grade band. The student body is roughly split between Hispanic and white students, with smaller shares identifying as Black, Asian, or two or more races. Just over two-fifths of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, meaning the campus serves a mix of economic backgrounds without being heavily concentrated at either end. Data on English learner enrollment and students with IEPs was not available in what was provided.
On Texas STAAR assessments, Santa Rita performs well above the midpoint among districts in Tom Green County on the overall proficiency index, landing in the top quartile of that comparison set. The picture across grades and subjects is genuinely strong in several places. Fifth-grade math proficiency is high, and fourth-grade reading is similarly strong. Third-grade reading comes in at a solid level, and fourth-grade math is also healthy. Science in fifth grade is the softer spot, with just over half of tested students reaching proficiency, which is worth asking the school about. The share of students reaching the "meets grade level" standard across all subjects combined sits well above the halfway mark, and the "approaches" threshold, which represents basic grade-level access, is met by nearly all students. The "masters" level, which reflects the most advanced performance, is reached by roughly a third of students overall, a more modest figure that reflects the natural spread at any school. Only one year of data was available, so trend information cannot be assessed.
Families with children entering Santa Rita in fall 2025 or later will encounter a new reading and math curriculum. San Angelo ISD's board adopted the Bluebonnet Learning program for K-5 reading and language arts and K-8 mathematics, publicly reported to be effective fall 2025. The adoption passed on divided votes and drew public debate over questions of religious content and scripted instructional methods. Parents who want to understand how that curriculum is being implemented at Santa Rita specifically would be well served by a direct conversation with the principal.
Two other district-level changes touch elementary families. Voters approved a substantial bond in May 2025, the first passed in the district in decades according to publicly reported accounts, funding a new middle school campus, renovations to both high schools, facility upgrades, and safety improvements across all campuses. A separate voter-approved tax measure passed in late 2024 raised starting teacher pay and funded an armed officer at every campus. Both changes have direct day-to-day implications for the campus environment.
The district is also in the middle of a long-term consolidation of its elementary schools, driven by decades of enrollment decline. One elementary closed after the 2024-25 school year, with two more closures planned by fall 2027, bringing the total from fifteen to twelve elementaries. Santa Rita is not named among the closing schools in the data provided, but families new to the district should confirm current attendance boundaries and ask whether any further consolidations could affect their child's assignment.
Chronic absenteeism and graduation rate data do not apply here, the latter because the school serves only elementary grades. No programs data was available for this campus.
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