Charity Profile

San Antonio Humane Society finds forever homes for furry friends in need

The San Antonio Humane Society has served the area for over 60 years.

Editor's note: CultureMap is committed to shining a light on San Antonio-area nonprofits and their impact on our community. So, we're launching the CultureMap San Antonio Charity Challenge, highlighting deserving local organizations — one of which will become our charity partner for 2016 based on readers' votes. To help you decide, get to know one of our six selected finalists, San Antonio Humane Society.

Being man's best friend looks like a pretty easy job with warmth, love, and all the belly rubs you could hope for. But for some pets, life is no picnic. Many animals suffer abuse and injuries, while others are surrendered or abandoned to shelters. The San Antonio Humane Society (SAHS) has served the area for over 60 years. A no-kill shelter, SAHS provides medical care and shelter for furry friends until they find their forever homes.

Despite popular belief, the San Antonio Humane Society is not funded by the larger Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), so local donations and volunteer work greatly impact the day-to-day operations. Every year, SAHS is able to help more than 4,000 animals in the Bexar County area.

HSUS reports that a staggering 3 to 4 million animals die every year in shelters. The San Antonio Humane Society's mission is to improve and save the lives of animals by providing care, shelter, and community education. SAHS plans to expand with a shelter medicine hospital in the future.

SAHS helps to make sure even the animals have happy holidays and great new years. For a pick-me-up, check out their success stories.

Vote now for the San Antonio Humane Society — or any of the other worthy local nonprofits — in the CultureMap Charity Challenge running through December 30. A winner will be announced January 5, 2016, and will receive a CultureMap advertising package worth $10,000.

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schools with high achievers

These 7 San Antonio K-8 schools rank among Texas' best for 2025

Basis San Antonio - Shavano Campus

Congratulations are in order for the Dragons.

Several San Antonio elementary and middle schools are at the top of the class when it comes to educating and preparing the next generation for a successful life and career, according to U.S. News & World Report's list of 2025 Elementary and Middle Schools Rankings.

One such school – Basis San Antonio - Shavano Campus – is the No. 17 best middle school in Texas for 2025.

This November, U.S. News ranked over 79,000 public schools on the state and district level using data from the U.S. Department of Education. Schools were analyzed based on their students' proficiencies in mathematics and reading/language arts on state assessments, and tie-breakers were decided based on student-teacher ratios.

"The 2025 Best Elementary and Middle Schools rankings offer parents a way to evaluate how schools are providing a high-quality education and preparing students for future success," said LaMont Jones, Ed.D., the managing editor for Education at U.S. News. "The data empowers families and communities to advocate for their children’s education. Research continues to indicate that how students perform academically at these early grade levels is a big factor in their success in high school and beyond."

Texas' best middle schools for 2025
In all, five San Antonio middle schools achieved spots among the top 100 best Texas middle schools for 2025, according to U.S. News.

The Shavano Campus of the Basis San Antonio charter school has a total enrollment of 1,018 students, with 84 percent of the student population scoring "at or above the proficient level" in mathematics, and 90 percent scoring at that level of proficiency in reading. The school has a student-teacher ratio of 16:1, with 63 full-time teachers.

Students at this charter school performed far better with its test scores than the rest of Texas, U.S. News said.

Four additional San Antonio schools ranked among the top 100 best middle schools in Texas, including:

No. 53 – Eleanor Kolitz Hebrew Language Academy
No. 62 – Lopez Middle School, North East ISD
No. 80 – Idea Carver College Preparatory
No. 97 – Young Women's Leadership Academy, San Antonio ISD

The best elementary schools in Texas
Jesus A. Kawas Elementary school in Laredo was crowned the No. 1 elementary school in Texas for 2025, while two San Antonio schools made it into the top 100.

Basis San Antonio Primary Medical Center is the No. 75 best elementary school statewide, boasting 787 students, 48 full-time teachers, and a 16:1 student-teacher ratio. Students at this school scored 80 percent efficiency in math and 85 percent efficiency in reading.

Landing at No. 90 in Texas is San Antonio's Hardy Oak Elementary in North East ISD. Hardy Oak has a student population of 683 with 37 full-time teachers, and one full-time counselor. The school's student-teacher ratio is 18:1, and 77 percent of students are proficient in math, and 85 percent are proficient in reading.

U.S. News says student success at Hardy Oak is significantly higher than the rest of North East ISD.

"In North East Independent School District, 56 percent of students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 46 percent tested at or above that level for math," U.S. News said in Hardy Oak's profile. "Hardy Oak Elementary [also] did better in math and better in reading in this metric compared with students across the state."

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