The top reported proficiency rate is 31% in English language arts. The lowest is 14% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Alan B Shepard Middle
Alan B Shepard Middle is a public middle school serving grades 6 through 8 in south San Antonio. Its enrollment is small, with roughly balanced cohorts across the three grades. The student body is overwhelmingly Hispanic and economically disadvantaged; a substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the school sits in a working-class neighborhood near the city's edge on Ray Ellison Drive.
The most pressing observation is academic performance. State assessment data from the 2024-25 school year shows consistently low proficiency rates across tested subjects. In math, sixth graders achieved proficiency at a rate well below what would support college or career readiness, and eighth graders improved somewhat but still at a modest level. The seventh grade data is too sparse to interpret. In English language arts, results are somewhat stronger, with proficiency rising from about one-quarter of sixth graders to more than one-third of eighth graders. Science proficiency for eighth graders sits around one-quarter, and social studies is even lower. When averaged across subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency sits in the bottom quartile among Bexar County districts, placing it among the lowest-performing schools in its county peer set.
The data available does not include trend information across multiple years, so it is not possible to say whether these results represent improvement, decline, or stability. The one-year snapshot suggests a school where the majority of students are not meeting state academic standards, with particular weakness in mathematics. A parent may want to look into whether the school has specific interventions in place to address math proficiency and what supports exist for students at different performance levels.
The school operates within South San Antonio ISD, a district currently navigating significant institutional change. In February 2025, the Texas Education Agency removed the elected school board and superintendent and installed a state-appointed board of managers and new superintendent to oversee the district for at least several years. Publicly reported, this action followed years of administrative instability, budget deficits, and declining student outcomes. The district has closed multiple campuses in recent years, including West Campus High School, which consolidated into the single remaining comprehensive high school. These circumstances provide context for understanding the broader system in which Shepard operates, though it remains to be seen how the new state-appointed leadership will affect individual school performance.
Housing in the school's zip code is modest in value, with median home prices substantially below the state average and rents similarly affordable relative to incomes in the region. The neighborhood itself is part of San Antonio's sprawling south side, characterized by suburban, car-dependent development rather than walkable, mixed-use areas.
In terms of program offerings and enrichment, the data provided does not describe magnet programs, career pathways, or other specialized academic tracks at Shepard. The school appears to be a conventional neighborhood middle school without publicly reported alternative programming.
For families considering this school, the fundamental question is academic fit. Shepard serves a population that is almost entirely economically disadvantaged and would benefit most from a school with demonstrated strength in remediation, intensive instruction, and support services that help students catch up to grade level. The current test results suggest this is not yet a school where most students are achieving at standard. Whether the school has a clear improvement trajectory or a robust support infrastructure for students below grade level would be essential to understand before enrollment.
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