How safe is the school, really?
Based on the school’s campus procedures page, Saginaw High School requires every visitor to check in at the front office and wear a badge, and closes the campus to visitors on state assessment days. In Niche’s student survey, 79% of the 77 students who responded agree they feel safe at the school, and the state’s 2023–24 report counts 64 students (2.7%) with disciplinary placements in 2022–23. We found no news report of a lockdown, weapon or threat at Saginaw High School.
| Source | What it shows | Date |
|---|---|---|
| School campus procedures | Visitors check in at the front office and wear a badge; the campus is closed to visitors on state assessment days; a “Safety and Security” link goes to the district police department page | Current page, undated |
| District police department page | Headings only: Standard Response Protocol Extended (SRP-X), Behavioral Threat Assessment, Gun Safety, Police Officers, Complaint Process; the text under them could not be read | Current page, undated |
| State report | 64 students (2.7%) with disciplinary placements; attendance 90.6% against 93.3% for the state and the district; chronic absenteeism 33.3% | 2022–23 |
| Niche | 79% of 77 student respondents agree they feel safe; reviews raise crowding, counselling gaps and bullying as concerns | No date stated |
Procedures show what the school plans, not how often danger arises. We could not read the district police department’s pages, the student handbook or the state’s own report card, and found no school-climate survey beyond Niche’s 77 responses. Our news search found no report naming Saginaw High School; the one threat report we found for the district, from 2015, concerns another high school and is not used. The absence of a report is not proof that no incident occurred.
How do students perform on state assessments in reading and math?
Based on the Texas Academic Performance Report for 2023–24, which the school links from its accountability page, Saginaw High School’s 2024 STAAR results in mathematics were 76% at Approaches Grade Level or above, 31% at Meets and 6% at Masters; in reading and English they were 75%, 60% and 11%. For all subjects together they were 82%, 54% and 15%, and in science 90%, 51% and 11%.
| Subject, 2024 STAAR | Approaches / Meets / Masters | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and English | 75% / 60% / 11% | State report, 2023–24 |
| Mathematics | 76% / 31% / 6% | State report, 2023–24 |
| Science | 90% / 51% / 11% | State report, 2023–24 |
| All subjects | 82% / 54% / 15% | State report, 2023–24 |
| Accountability rating | B overall (district C); B for student achievement, school progress and closing the gaps | Texas Tribune, relaying state data, 2024–25 |
| Proficient in reading and math | 55% and 33% | Niche, citing 2024–25 state tests |
Mathematics is the lower subject at Meets and Masters on every source. The state report is for 2023–24; the 2024–25 rating and Niche’s proficiency percentages are newer but come through outside sites, because the state’s own report card could not be read (its site disallows automated reading). The report gives no year-over-year growth figure for the school; the “school progress” domain of the 2024–25 rating is a B.
How qualified and stable are the teachers?
Based on the Texas Academic Performance Report for 2023–24, teachers at Saginaw High School average 9.4 years of experience, against 10.9 for the district and 11.1 for the state, and 7.5% are beginning teachers; a third (33.2%) have one to five years. The Texas Tribune, relaying state data, puts the share holding a master’s degree at 28.3%.
| Measure | Saginaw High School | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Average experience | 9.4 years (district 10.9, state 11.1) | State report, 2023–24 |
| Beginning teachers | 7.5% | State report, 2023–24 |
| By experience | 1–5 years 33.2% · 6–10 years 25.7% · 11–20 years 21.1% | State report, 2023–24 |
| Master’s degree | 28.3% | Texas Tribune, 2023–24 |
| In their first or second year | 22.7% | Niche, no year stated |
| Students per teacher | 15.1 | State report, 2023–24 |
Experience is lower than the district and state averages, and a third of the teachers are in their first five years; the 15.1 students per teacher is a campus average, not a class size. We found no turnover rate, no count of teachers certified outside their subject and no list of who teaches the career and technical courses: the school’s staff directory lists 125 people by job title, with no departments. Niche grades the school’s teachers A from its own reviews, which is opinion, not a measure.
What's the graduation rate, and how college-ready are graduates?
Based on the Texas Academic Performance Report for 2023–24, 98.0% of Saginaw High School’s Class of 2023 graduated within four years (state 90.3%, district 97.0%), and 74.2% of 2022–23 graduates were college, career or military ready, against 76.3% for the state and 68.1% for the district.
| Measure | Figure | Source and year |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 98.0% (state 90.3%, district 97.0%) | State report, Class of 2023 |
| College, career or military ready | 74.2% (state 76.3%, district 68.1%) | State report, 2022–23 graduates |
| Met the AP/IB criterion in any subject | 25.8% of graduates | State report, 2022–23 |
| Earned dual-course credit | 13.4% of graduates | State report, 2022–23 |
| College-ready in reading, math and both | 87.2%, 58.8% and 54.8% | Texas Tribune, 2022–23 |
| Average SAT and ACT | 960 and 19.6 | Texas Tribune, 2022–23 graduates |
| Average SAT and ACT | 1080 and 23 | Niche, 432 and 135 responses, no year |
Graduation is high; readiness in mathematics is the weaker side, with 58.8% of graduates meeting the college-ready standard in math against 87.2% in reading. The SAT and ACT averages differ by source: the Tribune relays state data for the 2022–23 graduates, while Niche’s rest on responses it received, so we show both. We found no college-enrolment or persistence figures for the school.
How strong is it in robotics, engineering and hands-on problem solving?
Based on our review, advanced manufacturing grades at Level 3 of 5 (3.0/5, Developing) and robotics at Level 2 (2.0/5, Weak). The district’s Engineering sequence runs from Principles of Applied Engineering and Intro to Robotics into Manufacturing Engineering 1 and 2 at the Hollenstein Career and Technology Center, with Fusion 360 and Certified SolidWorks Associate credentials listed, and the school’s club list shows a Robotics club with no sponsor named. We found no robotics team, no FIRST or VEX record and no course description.
| Strand | What the district or school lists | What we did not find |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering sequence | Principles of Applied Engineering (Grades 8–9, one credit), Intro to Robotics (Grade 10, one credit, recommended), Manufacturing Engineering 1 and 2 (two credits, at the career centre) | Course descriptions or student projects |
| Credentials | Certified SolidWorks Associate and Fusion 360; Welding 1 and 2 with American Welding Society credentials | A count of students who earned one |
| Aerospace and drones | Aerospace Rocket Engineering or Drone Engineering in Grades 11–12 (two credits, at the career centre); FAA Part 107 Remote Drone Pilot listed for Drone Engineering | A launch, flight or competition record |
| Robotics club | Listed on the club page with no sponsor named | A meeting, team or competition record |
The courses come from the district’s 2026–27 programs of study, dated August 12, 2026; what students build in them, and how many take them, is not published where we could read it. The state’s 2023–24 report shows 1,510 students (68.8%) in career and technical education overall, which is not a count for engineering alone. One senior’s Niche review says there are no STEM-related extracurriculars “besides my upcoming club”, a single undated view.
Does the school have a genuine STEM pathway, or just disconnected clubs, projects and competitions?
The district’s 2026–27 programs of study lay out sequenced pathways rather than only clubs: a Cybersecurity sequence from Principles of Information Technology through Networking Security and Lab to a Foundations of Cybersecurity Capstone, and an Engineering sequence from Principles of Applied Engineering and Intro to Robotics into Manufacturing Engineering, Aerospace Rocket Engineering and Drone Engineering, each with industry credentials listed. The advanced courses are taken at the Hollenstein Career and Technology Center, not on the Saginaw campus, and computer science does not appear in the programs of study.
| Pathway | Steps, by grade | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Cybersecurity | Principles of Information Technology (Grades 9–10); Networking Security and Lab (Grades 10–11); Foundations of Cybersecurity Capstone (Grades 11–12) | First step at the high school; the next two at the career centre |
| Engineering | Principles of Applied Engineering (Grades 8–9); Intro to Robotics (Grade 10); Manufacturing Engineering 1 and 2 (Grades 10–12); Aerospace Rocket Engineering or Drone Engineering (Grades 11–12) | First two steps at the high school; the rest at the career centre |
| Biomedical Science | Principles of Health Science (Grade 9); Medical Terminology (Grade 10); Anatomy and Physiology or Pathophysiology (Grades 11–12); Biomedical Research (Grades 11–12) | Last step at the career centre |
| Air Force JROTC | A one- to four-year elective; aerospace science, leadership education and wellness each semester | Saginaw campus, open to all EMS ISD high schools |
These are programs of study the district publishes for its high schools; the school’s own Academics pages do not describe them. The state’s 2023–24 report counts 121 graduates (26.7%) as career and technical education completers. We found no count of students in any one sequence and no completion rate for it. The one competition result we found is from the 2026 SkillsUSA state competition, where two Saginaw students placed first and third in Telecommunications Cabling and the first advanced to nationals; we found no robotics, engineering or cybersecurity competition record.
Does STEM translate into recognised qualifications, university preparation and credible next-step pathways?
The district’s certification table lists industry credentials against the STEM courses: Cisco CCNA for the Foundations of Cybersecurity Capstone, Cisco routing and switching for Networking and Cybersecurity, Certified SolidWorks Associate for Manufacturing Engineering Technology, FAA Part 107 Remote Drone Pilot for Drone Engineering and an Electrical Apprenticeship Certificate Level 1 for Electrical Technology. The state’s 2023–24 report adds AP and dual-credit routes to college credit.
| Route | What is published | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Industry credentials | Cisco CCNA; Cisco routing and switching; Certified SolidWorks Associate; FAA Part 107 Remote Drone Pilot; Electrical Apprenticeship Certificate Level 1; American Welding Society credentials | District certification table |
| AP | 25.4% of students took AP or IB exams in 2023, and 54.7% of examinees scored at or above the criterion | State report, 2023 |
| Dual credit | 13.4% of 2022–23 graduates earned dual-course credit; the programs-of-study key marks dual-credit courses “TCC Dual Cr” at TCC Alliance and TCC NW | State report; programs of study |
| Mathematics ladder | Algebra 1 through Calculus AB and BC, and AP Statistics | School mathematics page |
| College, career or military ready | 74.2% of 2022–23 graduates | State report |
The table says what a course can lead to, not what students earn: we found no count of credentials earned, no AP results by subject and no university-placement figures. The district pages for Advanced Placement, Dual Credit, OnRamps and the Tarleton Today pathway could not be read, and the one Tarleton State partnership we found concerns education students, not STEM. Families should ask a counsellor which credentials Saginaw students can attempt and which dual-credit courses run for them.
Which future-critical STEM fields is this school genuinely strong in—and which ones are major gaps?
Based on our review, none of the ten fields reaches the Excellent band. Cybersecurity, aerospace and advanced manufacturing are the furthest developed at Developing (3.0/5); robotics and biotechnology sit at Weak (2.0/5), computer science and Earth systems at Weak (1.0/5), and AI & data science, clean energy and battery storage are the major gaps, where we found nothing (0.0/5).
| Field | Score | Standing |
|---|---|---|
| Cybersecurity & Digital Safety | 3.0/5 | Developing |
| Aerospace & Space Technology | 3.0/5 | Developing |
| Advanced Manufacturing | 3.0/5 | Developing |
| Robotics & Autonomous Systems | 2.0/5 | Weak |
| Biotechnology & Synthetic Biology | 2.0/5 | Weak |
| Computer Science & Computational Thinking | 1.0/5 | Weak |
| Earth Systems & Geospatial | 1.0/5 | Weak |
| AI & Data Science | 0.0/5 | Weak |
| Clean Energy & Climate Technology | 0.0/5 | Weak |
| Batteries & Energy Storage | 0.0/5 | Weak |
Will your child be ready for jobs that don’t exist yet?
Here’s what the evidence actually shows for Saginaw High School — not what the brochure claims.
44/100 — Weak overall. Cybersecurity, aerospace and advanced manufacturing are Saginaw’s strongest fields: the district’s programs of study run from Principles of Information Technology through Networking Security and a Foundations of Cybersecurity Capstone, with Cisco CCNA listed for the capstone, and from Principles of Applied Engineering and Intro to Robotics into Manufacturing Engineering, Aerospace Rocket Engineering and Drone Engineering at the Hollenstein Career and Technology Center, with Certified SolidWorks Associate and FAA Part 107 credentials listed, beside four-year Air Force JROTC aerospace science on the Saginaw campus.
But: AI, clean energy and battery storage are absent, and robotics, biotechnology, computer science and Earth systems are thin or lacking.
Best positioned forNone
Underdeveloped inAI & Data, Clean Energy, Batteries
Future-critical exposure3/15 domains
Very strong
- None
Strong
- None
Limited
- Cybersecurity
- Aerospace
- Advanced Manufacturing
Little / no pathway
- AI & Data
- Robotics
- Clean Energy
- Computer Science
- Earth & Geospatial
- Batteries
- Biotechnology
Less ideal for
Where the school is stronger than its marketing suggests
No count of students who earned a credential, no engineering or cybersecurity competition record, and no science-research record identified.
Evidence seen
- AP Statistics, Precalculus, Calculus AB and Calculus BC on the school’s mathematics page are the nearest provision
What’s missing
- No course in AI, machine learning or data science on the school’s pages, in the district’s 2026–27 programs of study or on the career centre’s course list
- No coding, data or AI club: the club list names Digital Media Club, Robotics, UIL Academics and HOSA as its closest activities
- The district’s course catalogue could not be read, so a course outside the pages we read cannot be ruled out
Curriculum
- A Cybersecurity program of study: Principles of Information Technology, then Networking Security and Lab and a Foundations of Cybersecurity Capstone (two credits each, taken at the Hollenstein Career and Technology Center in Fort Worth)
- Credentials listed against the courses: Cisco routing and switching for Networking and Cybersecurity, Cisco CCNA for the capstone, and Cybersecurity Fundamentals
Evidence seen
- The same sequence appears on the career centre’s Information Technology page, its certification table and the district’s 2026–27 programs of study (dated August 12, 2026); the district’s course plan names Attacks, Concepts and Techniques, Incident Response, Security Monitoring and Analysis, and Threat and Vulnerability Management among its cybersecurity titles
- Two Saginaw students placed first and third in Telecommunications Cabling, an information-technology event rather than a cybersecurity one, at the 2026 SkillsUSA state competition, and the first advanced to nationals
What’s missing
- No count of students who earned a Cisco or other credential
- No cybersecurity club or competition record (such as CyberPatriot) found
- Course descriptions and lab content were not read; the sequence runs off campus, and the programs-of-study key says career-centre courses “may include additional costs”
Curriculum
- Intro to Robotics (listed as Engineering Science), a one-credit course recommended for Grade 10 in the engineering sequence
- A Robotics club on the school’s club list
What’s missing
- The club entry names no sponsor and gives no meeting, team or description; no FIRST, VEX or similar competition record found for the school
- No course description read, so the depth of the robotics course is not established
- A senior’s Niche review says no STEM-related extracurriculars exist “besides my upcoming club”, one student’s view and undated
Evidence seen
- Electrical Technology 1 and 2 at the career centre (an Electrical Apprenticeship Certificate Level 1) and an Aquatic Science Club are the nearest provision; neither is an energy or climate course
What’s missing
- No energy, climate-technology or sustainability course, laboratory or competition record found
- The district’s course catalogue could not be read, so a course outside the pages we read cannot be ruled out
Curriculum
- A Biomedical Science program of study: Principles of Health Science, Medical Terminology, Anatomy and Physiology or Pathophysiology, then a two-credit Biomedical Research course at the career centre
- HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) on the school’s club list
What’s missing
- No course description for Biomedical Research, so laboratory content is not established; the sequence is led by health science
- No biotechnology or genetics course found
- The club list gives names only: HOSA’s activities and results are not described; no science-fair or Science Olympiad record found
Creativity cannot be graded the way a course can. It can only be evidenced through what students made.
| Criterion | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art + technology | ||||
| Design | ||||
| Architecture | ||||
| Engineering design | ||||
| Media / digital production | ||||
| Maker learning | ||||
| Interdisciplinary projects |
Nothing found for
No student work was found evidencing these. For a school this well documented, an unrecorded programme is unlikely to be a large one.
What a family should ask about directly
- AI, clean energy and battery storage have no record at all, robotics and biotechnology rest on a single course and a club each, and computer science has no named course in the programs of study. Ask the counselling office for the 2026–27 course catalogue, which we could not read, and whether a computer science course runs on the Saginaw campus.
- The strongest sequences run partly at the Hollenstein Career and Technology Center in Fort Worth, in two-credit blocks, and the programs-of-study key says those courses “may include additional costs”. Ask how a Saginaw student enrols, what the courses cost, how long the trip takes and how the school day is arranged around it.
- Credentials such as Cisco CCNA, Certified SolidWorks Associate and FAA Part 107 are listed against courses, and the career centre publishes no count of students who earn them. Ask how many Saginaw students earned each in the last year.
- The club list shows a Robotics club with no sponsor named. Ask whether it meets, who runs it and whether it competes. The one competition result we found is a SkillsUSA state first and third place in Telecommunications Cabling in 2026, which is not a robotics event; ask which other teams compete.
- Mathematics is the backbone of every field here. The 2023–24 state report shows 76% of students at Approaches or above in math in 2024, 31% at Meets and 6% at Masters; Niche, citing 2024–25 state tests, reports 33% proficient in math. Ask for the school’s current results and the supports behind them.
- Several sources could not be read: the state’s own report card (the state site disallows automated reading), the district’s career and technical, advanced-academics and course-catalogue pages (no text came back) and the older course guides. Grades therefore rest on the school’s own pages, the career centre’s pages, the district’s programs of study, the 2023–24 state report and aggregators, which is why confidence on every field is not higher.
| Domain | Evidence class | Key sources |
|---|---|---|
| AI & Data | None found | No AI, machine-learning or data-science course, club or competition record found on any page we could read; AP Statistics and Calculus (school mathematics page) are the nearest provision |
| Computer Science | School-reported | District 2026–27 programs of study (Principles of Information Technology; Animation and Video Game Design at the career centre; no computer science course listed); no AP computer science course and no computing competition found |
| Robotics | School-reported | District 2026–27 programs of study (Intro to Robotics); school club list (Robotics, no sponsor named); no competition record found |
| Biotechnology | School-reported | District 2026–27 programs of study (Biomedical Science, Biomedical Research at the career centre); school club list (HOSA); no biotechnology course description, science-fair or Science Olympiad record found |
| Clean Energy | None found | No energy coursework, club or competition record found; Electrical Technology at the career centre is the nearest provision |
| Aerospace | School-reported | School Air Force JROTC page (aerospace science each semester); career centre pages (Aerospace Rocket Engineering, Drone Engineering; FAA Part 107 credential listed); no competition record found |
| Earth & Geospatial | School-reported | School club list (Aquatic Science Club, name and sponsor only); science courses unread; no geospatial or climate record found |
| Advanced Manufacturing | School-reported | District 2026–27 programs of study and career centre pages (Principles of Applied Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering 1 and 2; Certified SolidWorks Associate and Fusion 360 listed; Welding 1 and 2 with American Welding Society credentials listed); no fabrication competition or credential count found |
| Cybersecurity | School-reported | District 2026–27 programs of study and career centre pages (Networking Security and Lab; Foundations of Cybersecurity Capstone; Cisco and Cybersecurity Fundamentals credentials listed); no cybersecurity club or competition record (a SkillsUSA state placement in Telecommunications Cabling is an information-technology event) and no credential count found |
| Batteries & Energy Storage | None found | No coursework, club or competition record found |
Academics
Excellence in every learning opportunity.
At Saginaw High School, academic excellence is the foundation of everything we do. Here are the mathematics courses we teach, the career and technical programs of study our students can follow, our fine arts and Air Force JROTC, our clubs, and the counselors who help students plan.
Saginaw High School
We believe every student is a unique individual with the ability to achieve success, that engaged learners grow deeper in understanding and confidence, and that high expectations paired with strong support lead to lifelong achievement.
- Our social studies courses are World Geography, World History, U.S. History, Government and Economics, with a diverse selection of electives and Advanced Placement opportunities for advanced learners
- Many of our career and technical programs of study are completed at the Hollenstein Career and Technology Center, 5501 Marine Creek Parkway, Fort Worth; on early-release days HCTC and JROTC students have no buses and report to the Large Lecture Hall during their scheduled periods
- Our Air Force JROTC is a one- to four-year elective open to students from all EMS ISD high schools; each semester covers aerospace science, leadership education and wellness and physical training, JROTC 1 earns a physical education substitution credit, and there is no military commitment
- Our visual arts students explore drawing, painting, sculpture, photography and digital art, and can create AP Portfolios
- Our day begins with tutorials from 8:00 to 8:15 a.m., followed by eight periods that end at 3:49 p.m.; on early-release days the periods are 25 minutes and buses leave at 12:23 p.m.
Mathematics courses
Career and technical courses in our district’s STEM programs of study
Fine arts
Clubs and organizations
Counselors
Sarah Johnson
Shelly Farmer
Lisa Kalka
Jeanette Hernandez
Sheyla Dau
Shana Steele
Ask about academics
Calendar
What is coming up, soonest first.
The dates on our calendar for the months ahead: the district election, holidays, the end of grading periods and semesters, and graduation. On an early-release day tutorials begin at 8:00 a.m., the eight periods run 25 minutes each and buses leave at 12:23 p.m. Ask below if you need a date confirmed before you plan around it.
October
November
December
January
May
Ask about the calendar
Our Story
Home of the Rough Riders.
We are a proud and dynamic learning community serving students from Saginaw, Blue Mound and North Fort Worth. We opened in 2005 as the second high school in Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD and are the only high school within the City of Saginaw. Our aim is to foster a culture of excellence that instills a passion for a lifetime of continuous achievement in every student, and we are proud of the EMS ISD JROTC program and the district’s first three Dell Scholars. Here is how we have grown, and the people who lead us.
Milestones
We opened as the second high school in Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD, and our campus has expanded in phases since.
Our football team won a state championship, and our cheer squad finished third at nationals.
Our mock trial team placed second at the Texas Youth and Government state competition in Austin in March and qualified for nationals for the third straight year.
Our mock trial team won the national title at the YMCA National Judicial Competition in Austin, and we were one of six EMS ISD campuses designated Purple Star campuses for supporting military-connected students and families.
Leadership
Dr. Ray Blanco
Melissa Cordova
Sonia Garcia
Dennis Lindsey
Willie Server
Jennifer Thomas
Ask about our story
News
News from Saginaw High School.
Recent stories from our news page, newest first. Several were published through the district’s newsroom.
EMS ISD celebrates six Purple Star campuses
Six district campuses, including ours, earned the Purple Star designation for supporting military-connected students and families.
Saginaw High School Mock Trial wins national championship
Our Mock Trial team won the national title at the YMCA National Judicial Competition, held over three days in Austin, Texas. We advanced to the showcase round against another top national team and were declared national champion, and one member of our team was honored as the best attorney in the country. Coach Peter Branca said, “It was one team and not eight individuals.”
Coach Courtney Parker selected to judge national gymnastics championships
Coach Courtney Parker judged her first USA Gymnastics Development Program National Championships in Oklahoma City, a career milestone.
EMS ISD earns national music education honor for 13th consecutive year
The NAMM Foundation again named the district one of the nation’s Best Communities for Music Education.
145 EMS ISD students earn national academic recognition from College Board
145 students from the district’s four comprehensive high schools earned College Board National Recognition for academic excellence.
HCTC education graduates bring home national championships, Blue Ribbon honors
A Hollenstein educator graduate repeated as a national champion, and three other recent graduates earned Blue Ribbon honors at the Educators Rising National Conference.
Ask about the news
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