Happy holidays

San Antonio lands on the nice list of best cities for celebrating Christmas in 2023

San Antonio landed at No. 17, the highest-ranked Texas city.

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No matter how much residents in San Antonio spend on their gifts, the spirit of Christmas lies not in presents under the tree but in spending quality time with loved ones. San Antonians won't have to travel far to experience the best Christmas in Texas this year either – the Alamo City landed at No. 17 in a new national list of the best cities for celebrating Christmas in 2023.

The report by WalletHub ranked the 100 most populous cities across five categories: Christmas traditions, holiday observance, generosity, shopping, and costs.

San Antonio was the highest-ranked Texas city thanks to its heap of holiday happenings. From local restaurants putting their all into creating the most festive holiday dinners, to a local university's famous annual Christmas traditions, there's plenty to enjoy around the city.

Towns in the surrounding Hill Country area, including New Braunfels, have also transformed into delightful winter wonderlands for the holiday season, and they're fun, festive escapes for city slickers this time of year.

Despite inflation woes, San Antonio households have slightly bigger holiday budgets this year ($844) than they did in 2022 ($803), according to another WalletHub study.

"Inflation is weighing heavily on consumers’ minds as well as their budgets this holiday season, but it doesn’t have to spoil the occasion," said WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe. "Whether you find yourself in what amounts to a humble modern-day manger or one of the best cities for budget-friendly Christmas celebrations, the most important thing is to spend quality time with loved ones and create lasting memories. By doing so, you can find joy and inspiration in the true spirit of the season."

Other Texas cities that earned spots in the top 50 include Austin (No. 31), Dallas (No. 34), Houston (No. 36), and Fort Worth (No. 50).

The top 10 best places to experience Christmas are:

No. 1 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 2 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
No. 3 – Orlando, Florida
No. 4 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 5 – San Francisco, California
No. 6 – St. Louis, Missouri
No. 7 – Seattle, Washington
No. 8 – Chicago, Illinois
No. 9 – Miami, Florida
No. 10 – Birmingham, Alabama

The full report can be found on wallethub.com.

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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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