McDowell Middle

Hondo is a quiet ranch-country town about 40 miles west of San Antonio, where Friday night lights and tight-knit community ties run deep. McDowell Middle serves families rooted in that small-town fabric, and while its academic scores sit in the lower percentiles statewide, it's the kind of school where staff tend to know students by name and community involvement can make a real difference in a child's experience. Families who value a slower pace of life and close community connections — and who are willing to stay engaged in their kid's education — may find Hondo a genuinely comfortable place to put down roots.