Move over Buc'ees

New mega-convenience store parks in San Antonio with first location

QuickTrip is pumped to be in San Antonio.

If QuikTrip has any say in it, 7-Eleven may have to take a big gulp and Buc-ee’s may soon be roadkill. The convenience store giant is making a big splash in South Texas with a planned 22 San Antonio stores.

According to a release, the first is set to open on 7500 block of N. Loop 1604 E. on October 4 in Live Oak. Locations in Leon Valley and Kirby are expected to follow by the end of the year.

The Tulsa-based company is known for friendly customer service, clean shops, and QT Kitchens — a restaurant within the market that serves a variety of made-to-order foods like breakfast bowls, pizza, and croissant sandwiches along with custom coffee drinks and milkshakes.

For the San Antonio market, the company will also bring a little local flavor with exclusive menu items like tacos, barbecue sandwiches, and kolaches that reflect the spirt of the city.

The new location, like all QuikTrip stores, will also be a Safe Place, a designated location where runaways and at-risk youth can receive food and drink and be connected to crisis professionals. The convenience store also partners with United Way and military nonprofit Folds of Honor.

“We look forward to serving our new customers in San Antonio and showing them what our company and culture are all about: quality food, fuel, and convenience,” said San Antonio and Austin division manager Dan Balenti in a statement. “San Antonio is a vibrant and growing city and we are excited to integrate into the community bringing our extraordinary service with a smile.”

Locals can see for themselves during the grand opening celebration on October 6. The day of fun includes an inflatable slide, face painting, a balloon artist, free food samples, giveaways, a DJ, and a photo op with the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile.

openings

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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