Young Women's Leadership Academy, El Paso TX

Original Research by School Decision on Young Women's Leadership Academy

Young Women's Leadership Academy is a public middle and high school serving grades six through twelve in El Paso's far southeast, within Ysleta ISD. The school enrolls a small cohort of students, roughly a third of whom qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is overwhelmingly Hispanic, reflecting El Paso's demographic profile.

The school's academic strengths lie in English language arts. Across grades six through eight, proficiency rates in ELA are consistently strong, with most students meeting grade-level expectations. Reading and writing form a clear foundation. Mathematics tells a different story. Proficiency in math drops noticeably, particularly in grade eight where fewer than half of students meet the standard. Science and social studies also show weaker results, sitting at about half. The school reports strong rates of students approaching proficiency across subjects, which suggests many are close to grade-level benchmarks but not yet there.

The structure is intentional: this is a girls' school, a specific educational model that shapes peer culture and curriculum around women's leadership and engagement. The name and mission reflect that purpose. Parents choosing this school are selecting not just an academic pathway but a deliberate peer environment designed around that focus.

The school sits on the city's far southeast edge in the 79907 zip code, an area experiencing suburban growth with moderate housing costs relative to the broader metro. The neighborhood is predominantly residential, family-oriented, and car-dependent, fitting the pattern of El Paso's sprawling suburban expansion.

A material uncertainty shadows the school's future. Ysleta ISD is in sustained financial stress. The district lost a substantial share of its student enrollment in the recent school year, has run consecutive deficit budgets, and publicly identified Young Women's Leadership Academy as a potential closure candidate in the 2026-27 budget cycle. The district's leaders pointed to the school by name when discussing possible consolidations and closures. A tax ratification election is planned for November 2026 that could affect the district's ability to fund schools and programs. Families considering enrollment should have a direct conversation with the school and district about the closure discussion and the district's budget timeline before making a commitment.

State test participation rates were not reported, so the picture of which students took assessments is incomplete. The school's grade configuration (middle and high school combined) means no high school graduation rate or senior-level test data are available in the state assessment results shown here.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 658%

School 58% · District 39% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 847%

School 47% · District 58% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 687%

School 87% · District 55% · ▲ 32 pts above district

▲ 35 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above county median

Grade 780%

School 80% · District 53% · ▲ 27 pts above district

▲ 31 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

Grade 884%

School 84% · District 55% · ▲ 29 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

Science

Grade 853%

School 53% · District 48% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 853%

School 53% · District 30% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

This schoolYSLETA ISD, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income88%Higher-income84%4 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income82%Higher-income78%4 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income81%Higher-income88%7 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income48%Higher-income74%26 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income46%Higher-income50%4 pp gap