Four San Antonio-Area School Districts Earned D Ratings in 2025 — Here's What That Means for Your Home

The Texas Education Agency releases A-F accountability ratings each year, and the 2025 results are drawing attention from San Antonio homeowners, buyers, and renters alike. Four local districts landed in D territory: Judson ISD with a 69, Harlandale ISD with a 69, Edgewood ISD with a 66, and South San Antonio ISD with a 65. If you own a home, are shopping for one, or are trying to decide where to rent, these ratings deserve a place in your thinking — even if they aren't the only factor that matters.

School district ratings and home values have a well-documented relationship. Buyers with school-age children often filter their search by district before they even look at a floor plan. Buyers without children still tend to be aware that strong schools can support long-term resale value. When a district earns a D, it can soften demand in that area, which affects how quickly homes sell and what sellers can realistically ask.

Judson ISD serves a large footprint east of San Antonio, covering communities like Live Oak, Converse, Schertz, and Universal City, along with portions of northeast Bexar County. A score of 69 keeps it in D territory, and that carries weight for homeowners in ZIP codes like 78109, 78148, and 78233. If you are planning to sell in Judson ISD boundaries, buyers may use the rating as a negotiating point, or they may simply look west or north where competing districts have scored higher. That does not make your home unsellable — it means pricing and marketing strategy need to be thoughtful.

Harlandale ISD, with its 69, serves south-central San Antonio neighborhoods including South Side, Pecan Valley, and areas near South Zarzamora Street. Many of these are established working-class communities with strong roots and affordable price points. The D rating adds a layer of friction for sellers hoping to attract buyers relocating from out of state, since those buyers often lean heavily on ratings during their initial research. Renters with children may also bypass these neighborhoods when weighing their options, which can affect landlords and investors who own property in the district.

Edgewood ISD earned a 66, serving the near west side of San Antonio — communities that have been the focus of significant neighborhood revitalization conversations for years. ZIP codes like 78237 and 78228 fall within Edgewood boundaries. Homeowners in this part of the city already navigate a complex market where affordability is an asset but perceived risk can be a barrier. A D rating from the TEA reinforces that perception for buyers doing surface-level research, even when the full picture of a neighborhood is more nuanced.

South San Antonio ISD came in at 65, the lowest score among the four, serving south San Antonio ZIP codes including parts of 78211, 78214, and surrounding areas. For homeowners in these neighborhoods, the rating is a conversation-starter that is hard to avoid when listing a property. Buyers will see it. Their agents will mention it. And in a market where interest rates have already made affordability a challenge, any additional hesitation from buyers matters.

It is worth being honest about what these ratings do and do not tell you. The A-F system measures student academic performance and growth, among other factors. It is a snapshot, not a complete portrait of a school or community. Districts with D ratings often have dedicated teachers, community programs, and individual campuses that perform far better than the district-level score suggests. Some buyers who understand this will still choose a home in one of these districts because of price, location, proximity to family, or personal connection to the community.

For current homeowners in Judson, Harlandale, Edgewood, or South San Antonio ISD boundaries, the 2025 ratings are useful information — not cause for panic. If you are planning to sell in the next one to three years, now is a good time to have a frank conversation with a real estate professional about how the rating may factor into your pricing strategy and what you can do to present your home in the strongest possible light.

If you are a buyer and schools are a priority, this is also a good moment to do deeper research. Look beyond the district score and investigate individual campus ratings, which can vary significantly within the same district. Talk to parents in the neighborhood. Visit the schools if you can. A district-level D does not mean every campus in that district is underperforming.

San Antonio is a large, diverse city with a wide range of school districts, neighborhoods, and price points. Ratings are one data point in a bigger picture. The right move is to understand what the numbers mean, ask the right questions, and work with someone who knows this market well enough to help you put it all in context.