Best Public Schools in Zip Code 78043

The 78043 zip code area of Laredo, Texas is home to 17 schools, including 8 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, and 6 high schools, across two school districts - Laredo Independent School District (ISD) and United Independent School District (ISD). The data reveals a mix of high-performing and struggling schools, with significant disparities in outcomes that likely stem from a combination of socioeconomic factors, resource levels, and school quality.

The standout schools in this area include Ryan Elementary, which ranked 320 out of 4,675 Texas elementary schools and received a 5-star rating, as well as Freedom Elementary and Santo Nino Elementary, which both received 4-star ratings. These schools demonstrated strong performance on STAAR reading and math tests, with 60-80% of students meeting proficiency standards. In contrast, the alternative and specialty schools, like Premier H.S. of Laredo, had much lower test scores, graduation rates, and other metrics compared to the traditional public schools.

Across the schools, there are significant disparities in performance, with large gaps in STAAR test proficiency between the top-performing and lower-performing schools. Additionally, the schools in the United ISD generally outperformed those in the Laredo ISD on metrics like test scores and graduation rates, despite both districts having similar overall rankings. The extremely high percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 83.94% to 100%, highlight the economic challenges facing many families in this area.