Guest Post: 3 San Antonio Elementary Schools Worth Moving Near

By Tali Wee of Zillow

Map of Schools and Ratings in San Antonio (Zillow.com)

Moving can be challenging and stressful for anyone, but especially for families with children in school. Sometimes the most ideal house isn’t near the best public school. Educator quality, district ratings and parental participation may all be defining factors in choosing a school for the kids. Regardless of the specific priorities parents have, the most important step is to research all of the school options within potential hometowns.

If moving to San Antonio, consider these top three elementary schools that all rank 10 out of 10, according to GreatSchools.

Encino Park Elementary

Encino Park educates 720 students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. A typical class size at this public school is 21, with a 17:1 student per teacher ratio. In 2011, the students at Encino Park ranked 95 percent in math and 98 percent in reading in the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS). The Texas state average for these exams is 87 percent and 89 percent, respectively. Encino Park’s outstanding results highlight the elite standard of education they apply to their instruction criteria. Apart from academics, Encino Park offers electives such as chorus, computer arts, drawing, painting and orchestra, allowing young children the opportunity to explore interests outside of the traditional curriculum. The school resides in the North East Independent School District and is located at 2550 Encino Rio.

Hardy Oak Elementary

Also in the North East Independent School District, Hardy Oak is on the larger side at 1,034 students. Although more populated than Encino Park, class sizes at Hardy Oak are slightly smaller at 18 students per classroom and a ratio of 16:1 student to teacher. Similar to Encino Park, Hardy Oak offers young students the chance to participate in band, chorus, computer arts, drawing, painting and orchestra. The school also offers Spanish classes and physical education. In 2011, Hardy Oak Elementary scored incredible high in their TAKS exams with 99 percent in math and 97 percent in reading. They rank high in terms of teacher quality, principal leadership and parent involvement amongst other schools in the area. Hardy Oak is located at 22900 Hardy Oak Blvd.

Roan Forest Elementary

Placed third for elementary schools in the San Antonio area is Roan Forest Elementary School. At 638 total students, this public school has a ratio of 18:1 students per teacher. In comparison, the state student-teacher ratio is 15:1. Although the ratio is slightly higher than the typical Texas classroom, Roan Forest excels academically. In 2011, Roan Forest scored 97 percent in math and 96 percent in reading on their TAKS exams. These scores surpass the state average by 10 percent in math and seven percent in reading. Roan Forest’s high marks reflect a continued emphasis on the importance of preparation for state-wide standardized tests by the top schools in San Antonio. The school also offers children extracurricular activities such as chorus, computer arts, drawing and painting. The school is located at 22710 Roan Park.

Further information on all three schools can be found on the North East Independent School District website. To view test scores, community ratings and reviews, and student demographics for K-12 public, private or charter schools in San Antonio, visit Zillow’s school information database.