STISD and campuses rank among the best in Niche Best Schools Rankings for ninth consecutive year

Niche just released its 2023 Best Schools K-12 School & District Rankings, and for the ninth year in a row, South Texas Independent School District (STISD) and its campuses ranked among the best in the state and nation.

With an A+ overall grade, STISD ranked 2nd in Texas (out of 1,018 school districts ranked) and 38th in the nation (out of 10,751 districts ranked) in the Best School Districts rankings. For the second year in a row, the district also earned the top spots in the state in the Best Places to Teach in Texas and the Districts with the Best Teachers in Texas. STISD also ranked 6th out of 11,687 districts ranked in the Districts with the Best Teachers in America. 

All six STISD campuses eligible for the ranking were ranked among the best in the state and nation in the 2023 Niche K-12 Schools lists, which grade and rank schools and districts based upon criteria ranging from academics to culture and teachers.

STISD’s two middle schools earned the top two spots in the Best Public Middle School Teachers in Texas category and spots in the top 6 in the Best Public Middle Schools in Texas. South Texas ISD Preparatory Academy (Preparatory Academy) in Edinburg ranked fifth in the Best Public Middle Schools in Texas (out of 2,212 schools ranked) and second in Best Public Middle School Teachers in Texas (out of 2,157). South Texas ISD Rising Scholars Academy (Rising Scholars) in San Benito earned first place in the Best Public Middle School Teachers in Texas category and sixth in the Best Public Middle Schools in Texas. Both campuses received an A+ overall Niche grade. In the Best Public Middle School Teachers in America, Rising Scholars ranked 8th and Preparatory Academy ranked 15th out of 24,682 schools ranked. In the Best Public Middle Schools in America category, Preparatory Academy ranked 47th and Rising Scholars ranked 51st out of 25,154 schools ranked. In the Best Public Middle Schools in their counties – Hidalgo and Cameron – both campuses also claimed the number one spot. 

All four STISD high schools also ranked among the top in the state and nation in the 2023 Best Public High Schools lists again this year. South Texas ISD Science Academy (Science Academy) in Mercedes ranked 15th in the state (out of 1,808) and 208th in the nation (out of 20,032) and received an A+ overall grade. The campus claimed first place in the Best Public High Schools in Hidalgo County. South Texas ISD Health Professions (Health Professions) in Mercedes ranked 116th in the state and 2nd in Hidalgo County, and received an A. South Texas ISD Medical Professions (Medical Professions) in Olmito ranked 161st in the state, 2nd in Best Public High Schools in Cameron County, and received an A. South Texas ISD World Scholars (World Scholars) in Edinburg ranked 138th in the state, 3rd in Hidalgo County, and received an A.

Marco Antonio Lara, Jr., Ed.D., superintendent of schools for South Texas ISD, was elated to hear the news of the most recent rankings. He shared, “It is a proud day for STISD. These rankings serve as a reflection of the hard work that happens each and every day here at our district and schools. We have amazing faculty members who truly care about the students they serve, and they are so deserving of top spots in the state and nation. This achievement is one for our entire district community. Thank you and congratulations to our Board of Directors, our administrators, our faculty and staff, our parents, and of course, our students, without whom we would not be able to reach this level of success.”

These are only a few of the categories by which Niche ranked campuses and districts. The following are links to access the detailed lists of district and campus rankings:

South Texas Independent School District: https://www.niche.com/k12/d/south-texas-independent-school-district-tx/rankings/

South Texas ISD Preparatory Academy: https://www.niche.com/k12/south-texas-isd-preparatory-academy-edinburg-tx/rankings/

South Texas ISD Rising Scholars Academy: https://www.niche.com/k12/south-texas-isd-rising-scholars-academy-san-benito-tx/rankings/

South Texas ISD Health Professions: https://www.niche.com/k12/south-texas-isd-health-professions-mercedes-tx/rankings/

South Texas ISD Medical Professions: https://www.niche.com/k12/south-texas-isd-medical-professions-olmito-tx/rankings/

South Texas ISD Science Academy: https://www.niche.com/k12/south-texas-isd-science-academy-mercedes-tx/rankings/

South Texas ISD World Scholars: https://www.niche.com/k12/south-texas-isd-world-scholars-edinburg-tx/rankings/

According to the company website, Niche has the most comprehensive data on U.S. schools and neighborhoods. They rigorously analyze dozens of public data sets and over 100 million reviews and survey responses to help Niche visitors understand what a place is really like.

Additional information on the methodology used for the grading and ranking is available on the Niche website here: https://k12.niche.com/rankings/methodology/. 

About STISD

South Texas ISD is a state- and nationally-recognized public school district offering tuition-free college- and career-preparation to students in grades 6-12 from Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy Counties. The open-enrollment, all-magnet district is comprised of seven secondary campuses within the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, including four high schools – South Texas ISD Health Professions in Mercedes, South Texas ISD Medical Professions in Olmito, South Texas ISD Science Academy in Mercedes, and South Texas ISD World Scholars in Edinburg; two middle schools – South Texas ISD Preparatory Academy in Edinburg and South Texas ISD Rising Scholars Academy in San Benito; and one virtual campus, South Texas ISD Virtual Academy, now in its second year, through which students in grades 6-10 (and eventually grades 6-12) can learn 100 percent from home.

For additional information, call 1-800-21STUDY or visit www.stisd.net.