Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
High· 124 schools in district

GARZA INDEPENDENCE H S

1600 CHICON, AUSTIN, TX 78702AUSTIN ISD →
Federal DataAlternative Education SchoolGrades 10–12Non-Charter
150
Students
Total enrolled
32%
Grad Rate
Nat'l avg 87%
↓ 63% vs nat'l
$26,950
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
↑ 88% vs nat'l
5.8 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
↓ 63% vs nat'l
34/100
Opportunity Score
Neighborhood outcomes
↓ 33% vs nat'l
⇄ Compare with another school
Small public school
Serves 150 students in grades 10–12 in AUSTIN, Texas.
88% above average funding
District spends $26,950 per pupil, 88% more than the national average of $14,347.
Below-median opportunity
Children from this neighborhood historically reach the 34th income percentile as adults, per Harvard/Census Opportunity Atlas data.
About This School

GARZA INDEPENDENCE H S is a small high in AUSTIN, Texas, serving grades 10–12 with 150 students. The district invests $26,950 per student — 88% above the national average of $14,347, and maintains a 5.8:1 student-teacher ratio — smaller than the national norm of 15.4:1. About 45% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mixed-income student body. A neighborhood opportunity score of 34/100 — below the national median of 50 — is worth factoring into a fuller picture of long-term student outcomes.

Student Body & Demographics at GARZA INDEPENDENCE H S

150
Total Students
5.8 : 1
Student:Teacher
45%
Free Lunch
26
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (10–12) are served by this school
Gender Distribution53 male · 97 female
35%
65%
Male 35%Female 65%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility45%
National avg 52% · 68 students
Student Composition
39%
44%
9%
Asian3%
White39%
Hispanic / Latino44%
Black9%
Multiracial5%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 480894008060

Academic Outcomes at GARZA INDEPENDENCE H S

Graduation Rate (Adjusted Cohort)
30-34
Below avg
National avg 87%
Graduation Rate Comparison
This school
32%
State avg
89%
National avg
87%
Neighborhood Opportunity Score
34
/ 100
Below-median opportunity

Children from modest-income families in this neighborhood reach the 34th income percentile as adults. This school is in the 7th percentile nationally.

0 — Low50 — MedianHigh — 100
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census) · Census tract · ZIP 78702

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$26,950Above avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$26,950
State avg
$18,277
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$11,858
Student Support$5,121
Administration$3,234
Operations$4,043
Other$2,695
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $26,950 spent per student, an estimated $11,939 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
75%
State government
6.6%
Local (property tax)
75.2%
Federal programs
18.1%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • Above-average funding — $26,950/student vs $14,347 nationally
  • 5.8:1 student-teacher ratio — smaller classes than the national norm of 15.4:1
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Worth Considering
  • 32% graduation rate — below the national average of 87%
  • Below-median neighborhood opportunity score (34/100) — national median is 50
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
K–12 Pathway in District
Elementary
BLAZIER ELDOSS ELBARANOFF ELHILL EL
+5 more
↓
Middle
GORZYCKI MIDDLEKEALING MIDDLEMURCHISON MIDDLESMALL MIDDLE
+5 more
↓
High School
BOWIE H SAKINS H SAUSTIN H SANDERSON H S
+8 more
School Profile
TypeAlternative Education School
LevelHigh
Grades10 – 12
Location—
CountyTravis County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
DistrictAUSTIN ISD →
Phone: (512)414-8600
NCES ID: 480894008060
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in AUSTIN seeking a public high school, especially those prioritizing above-average resources and classroom investment. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

More in AUSTIN ISD
High
BOWIE H S
2,782 students · 09–12
13% FRL
High
AKINS H S
2,613 students · 09–12
● 44 opp61% FRL
High
AUSTIN H S
2,317 students · 09–12
● 57 opp25% FRL
High
ANDERSON H S
2,210 students · 09–12
24% FRL
High
MCCALLUM H S
1,824 students · 09–12
● 46 opp23% FRL
High
NAVARRO EARLY COLLEGE H S
1,649 students · 09–12
88% FRL
High
CROCKETT ECHS
1,608 students · 09–12
62% FRL
High
LASA H S
1,432 students · 09–12
● 31 opp14% FRL
District School Rankings
Location
1600 CHICON, AUSTIN, TX 78702
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

High
1
What percentage of students take AP or dual enrollment courses?
Indicates academic rigor and college prep
2
What college counseling and application support is provided?
Ratio of students per counselor matters
3
What career and vocational pathways are offered?
CTE programs, internships, industry partnerships
4
How does the school support students at risk of not graduating?
Credit recovery, attendance intervention
5
What's the school's culture around attendance and behavior?
Discipline approach, restorative practices
6
What happens after graduation — where do students go?
Ask about college, career, military outcomes
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.