The top reported proficiency rate is 22% in English language arts. The lowest is 0% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Pershing El
Pershing Elementary is a small, pre-K through grade five school in San Antonio serving a student population that is predominantly Hispanic and Black, with nearly all students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The school is located in an economically constrained area of the city and sits within San Antonio ISD, which has undergone significant change in recent years. Families considering Pershing should understand both what the school currently shows academically and the broader context that shapes elementary education in the district.
The most direct signal about Pershing comes from state assessment results. Across math and English language arts testing in grades three through five, proficiency rates are very low. In math, the school is reporting proficiency at the lowest measured levels across all three tested grades. In ELA, proficiency is similarly constrained, except in fifth grade Spanish-language testing where a higher share of students reach proficiency levels. In science, tested only in fifth grade, no students met proficiency. These outcomes place Pershing well below the middle range among elementary schools across Bexar County. A parent may want to look into this further with the school directly: these results suggest students are not meeting grade-level standards at typical rates, and understanding what academic supports, interventions, or instructional approaches the school has in place will be important for any family making a placement decision.
Context matters here. San Antonio ISD has been in active restructuring. In November 2023, the district closed a substantial number of schools and merged others due to long-term enrollment decline, a move that affected many students district-wide. Alongside those closures, the district adopted a standardized, district-wide curriculum in math and reading, moving away from campus-by-campus variation and implementing a phonics-based approach to literacy instruction. These are recent, deliberate changes meant to improve academic outcomes. Pershing sits within that shifting landscape. The district also completed a major bond measure in 2020 that has funded facility upgrades across many campuses through 2025, so physical plant improvements are ongoing, though specific details about Pershing's facilities were not available.
The housing market in San Antonio's zip codes reflects affordability comparable to the national benchmark on mortgage, though rent as a share of household income is in the moderate range. The city itself is one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States, with major sectors including healthcare, military, finance, and a growing technology and cybersecurity cluster. The immediate neighborhood composition and school setting details were not available in the data reviewed.
Pershing is not a magnet or charter school. It is a regular public elementary school. Pre-K enrollment begins at the school, and the grade progression is continuous through fifth grade, at which point students typically transition to a middle school within the district.
For families already assigned to Pershing or considering the school, the core question is whether the current academic environment and the district's efforts to standardize and improve instruction align with a child's needs. The very low proficiency rates are a fact that warrants conversation with school leadership about what supports are available, how instruction has shifted under the new curriculum, and what progress the school anticipates. San Antonio ISD's deliberate restructuring and curriculum standardization represent an attempt to address outcomes like those reflected in Pershing's data, but these are recent changes and their impact will take time to measure.
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