Discover the Largest High School in San Antonio (And Notable Alums)
Everything is bigger in Texas, including its schools. That’s because some parts of the state have massive populations, like San Antonio. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 1,472,909 people live in this city, so they need some very large high schools to educate their school-age population. Today, we are going to look at the largest high school in San Antonio and show you how many students go there, where it is located, and why you’re not likely to find any famous alumni anytime soon!
What Is the Largest High School in San Antonio?
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The largest high school in San Antonio is the John M. Harlan High School, a school with a population of 3,598 students. According to information from the National Center for Education Statistics, this school’s massive population comes just from students in grades 9 to 12.
John M. Harlan High School, sometimes just called Harlan High School, is a part of the Northside Independent School District. As a whole, this district contains over 100,000 students and employs 6,200 teachers and 12,000 other staff members.
Not only is the school large in terms of its student enrollment and staff, but the physical size of the campus is also large. The school building measures 486,000 square feet, making it the most populous and largest school by size in the Northside Independent School District.
However, this is not the largest high school in Texas. Allen High School has 6,000 students, and it is located north of Dallas.
Where Is John M. Harlan High School on the Map?
The largest high school in San Antonio is on the western outskirts of the city. The school is roughly 18 miles from the location of the Alamo in San Antonio.
More specifically, the school is in Bexar County, a somewhat rural or suburban area. The Government Canyon State Natural Area is a few miles north of the campus, and Medina Lake is about 9 miles to the northwest. The school opened in 2017, so using the map above can be very helpful in finding the school’s location.
About John M. Harlan High School
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| School Facts | |
|---|---|
| Enrollment | 3,598 |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 19.05 |
| Building Size | 486,000 square feet |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| School Colors | Black, silver, and Columbia blue |
| Mascot | Hawks |
John M. Harlan High School is an educational facility serving the Northside Independent School District. The school first opened in 2017, and it caters to students between 9th grade and 12th grade. The largest high school in San Antonio is a regular, non-charter school located at 14350 Culebra Road, San Antonio, Texas 78253-1699.
The school was named after John Marshall Harlan, the only Supreme Court justice who dissented in the Plessy vs. Ferguson case, the court case that endorsed the segregated, “separate but equal” education in the United States.
The facility is in Bexar County, a suburb of San Antonio. Also, the school is located about 20 miles from downtown San Antonio. The building is very large, measuring 486,000 square feet.
John M. Harlan High School has a total enrollment of 3,598 students as of the 2023-2024 school year. The school employs 189 full-time teachers, creating a student/teacher ratio of 19.05.
A total of 1,858 students are male and 1,740 students are female. Of these students, 951 qualify for free or reduced lunch prices.
The directors of the Northside Independent School District designed John M. Harlan High School to create the largest, most advanced school in the district. Originally, the school was slated to take in 3,000 students from the region. However, the school’s enrollment rapidly expanded, and it now has 3,598 students.
Course Offerings at the Largest High School in San Antonio
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Students who attend John M. Harlan High School can take part in a wide assortment of courses. The school offers high-quality educational classes to fulfill the requirements to earn a high school diploma in Texas. Students can also take on the challenge of Advanced Placement classes in subjects such as:
- English Language and Composition
- Calculus
- Art history
- Various world languages
- Physics
- Biology
Students can take many other AP courses as well. The school also provides a variety of electives to help students enhance their interests. Some of the electives available at this school are:
- Debate
- Journalism
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Sociology
- Graphic design
- Construction sciences
These courses provide students with many paths to success at universities, trade schools, and beyond.
Why the School Has a Lack of Notable Alumni
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Usually, we list the notable alumni who have emerged from the largest schools in a state or city. John M. Harlan High School has not produced any exceptionally noteworthy people yet because the school just opened in 2017! However, recent graduates and current students are bound to make a difference in the world in the coming years. After all, the school was designed with their success in mind.
All in all, the largest high school in San Antonio is one of the newest in the region. John M. Harlan High School has over 3,500 students, and they can choose from many courses of study. While no widely known names have graduated from the school yet, the future will undoubtedly be rife with success stories from this facility.
