Original Research by School Decision on Waxahachie H S of Choice
Waxahachie High School of Choice is a small alternative high school serving grades 10 through 12 in Ellis County, sitting on the northern edge of Waxahachie proper along Highway 77. The school enrolls a small cohort, with the vast majority in senior year. Alternative high schools in Texas often serve students who have not thrived in traditional comprehensive settings—students pursuing different pacing, more personalized instruction, work-study arrangements, or second chances. This school's data reflects that population: state proficiency rates show roughly half the students meeting or exceeding grade-level standards in English language arts and roughly three-quarters in science, but mathematics proficiency is notably lower, with no students recorded at the "meets" or "masters" level in math on the most recent assessment data.
The student body is economically diverse. Just over half of enrolled students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The racial and ethnic composition includes White, Hispanic, and Black students in roughly balanced proportions, with a small share identifying as multiracial. No data on special education enrollment or English learner enrollment was available; these figures are sometimes not reported for alternative settings or when cohorts are very small.
The school operates within Waxahachie ISD, a district in the midst of rapid growth. The city and surrounding Ellis County have seen sustained population increase, and the district recently passed a major bond program and broke ground on a second comprehensive high school scheduled to open in the 2027-2028 school year. The district has also reduced its property tax rate for multiple consecutive years, a concrete factor for families weighing relocation. Housing in the Waxahachie zip code runs in the mid-range for the region; monthly rent is moderate relative to median incomes in the county.
Waxahachie itself is a small city with strong historic preservation identity, built around a Victorian-era courthouse square that houses museums, the county library, and local businesses. Downtown is walkable and hosts festivals and farmers markets. Growth has been rapid enough to strain older infrastructure, but the city remains car-dependent outside the historic core. Major employers include healthcare systems, manufacturing, and distribution centers. The school's location on the highway north of town places it outside the downtown civic core but within the suburban sprawl that rings the area.
For a parent or student exploring this school, the key questions would likely be why an alternative setting is the right fit, what specific academic support or program structure the school offers for students struggling in math, and what pathway this school opens after graduation. The enrollment is very small, which can mean close relationships and customized attention but also limited peer diversity and fewer course options than a comprehensive high school. The state testing data shows proficiency lower than district averages in mathematics in particular, which a parent may want to look into further with the school to understand whether the curriculum, instruction, or student population composition accounts for the gap and what interventions or support exist.
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