Schools in San Antonio
San Antonio is served by 18 school districts, dominated by three large ones: Northside ISD (100,000+ students, the fourth-largest district in Texas), North East ISD (roughly 60,000 students), and San Antonio ISD (roughly 45,000 students). 2025-26 Texas Education Agency A-F ratings showed real, mixed movement -- North East ISD improved from a C to a B, Northside ISD held at a C with some individual campuses newly earning F ratings even as others improved -- so district identity and individual campus performance genuinely diverge here, more than a single citywide grade could capture.
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Learn moreThe Three Largest Districts
Northside ISD (NISD) serves more than 100,000 students and is both San Antonio's largest district and the fourth-largest in the state of Texas, covering much of the city's north and northwest side. North East ISD (NEISD) serves roughly 60,000 students, covering much of the city's north and northeast side including Alamo Heights-adjacent and Stone Oak areas. San Antonio ISD (SAISD) serves roughly 45,000 students and covers much of the historic urban core. A given address's assigned district depends entirely on its specific location -- these boundaries do not track city limits cleanly, and San Antonio's 18 total districts mean many more options exist beyond these three largest ones.
2025-26 TEA Ratings: Real, Mixed Movement
North East ISD improved from a C to a B rating in the Texas Education Agency's 2025-26 accountability ratings, a genuine district-level improvement (source: KSAT, reviewed August 2026). Northside ISD received an overall C rating, with five campuses receiving F ratings even as some individual schools improved dramatically -- one elementary school moved from three consecutive F ratings to a B in the same cycle (source: Yahoo News/local reporting on 2025-26 TEA ratings). Separately, San Antonio-area reporting noted the number of failing school districts in the broader San Antonio region dropped from several to just one in the newest ratings cycle -- a real, positive regional trend, though it does not mean every district or campus is performing well.
Individual Campus Variance Within Districts
As with any large multi-district metro, a district-level A-F grade does not describe every campus within it evenly -- Northside ISD's C rating coexists with both F-rated and B-rated (or better) individual campuses in the same 2025-26 cycle, per the reporting above. Anyone evaluating a specific home purchase or rental should check the individual assigned school's current TEA rating via the Texas School Report Cards (txschools.gov) or a service like GreatSchools before treating any district-level statistic as decisive.
Alamo Heights ISD: A Smaller, Highly Regarded District
Alamo Heights Independent School District, a smaller district serving the Alamo Heights and Terrell Hills area (see the best-areas topic page), is consistently cited by real estate and relocation sources as among the metro's top-performing districts -- a real factor behind Alamo Heights' housing price premium. A specific, independently confirmed current TEA letter grade for Alamo Heights ISD was not separately verified this research pass beyond its general reputation in aggregated sources; check its current rating directly via txschools.gov before relying on reputation alone.
Key takeaways
- San Antonio is served by 18 school districts; the three largest are Northside ISD (100,000+ students, TX's 4th-largest district), North East ISD (~60,000), and San Antonio ISD (~45,000).
- North East ISD improved from a C to a B in the 2025-26 TEA accountability ratings; Northside ISD held at a C, with individual campuses ranging from newly F-rated to dramatically improved in the same cycle.
- District-level grades do not describe every campus evenly -- check the specific assigned school's current rating via txschools.gov or GreatSchools before deciding based on a district average.
- Alamo Heights ISD carries a strong general reputation among relocation sources, though its current specific TEA grade was not independently re-verified this pass -- confirm directly.
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