A Data-Driven Look at Three Local High Schools: Pearland High School, Dawson High School, and Shadow Creek High School

Published Feb. 1, 2026

As families across Pearland and nearby communities navigate school zoning, transfers, athletics, and academic planning, three high schools are frequently part of the same conversation: Pearland High School, Glenda Dawson High School, and Shadow Creek High School.

• Rather than comparing schools competitively, this article presents a side-by-side factual profile using publicly available data from the Texas Education Agency (TEA), school districts, and UIL records. All figures reflect the 2024–25 school year unless otherwise noted.

Enrollment Snapshot 🏘️

Total Student Enrollment Pearland High School: 3,408 students Dawson High School: 2,568 students Shadow Creek High School: 2,593 students

Pearland High School has the largest enrollment of the three, while Dawson and Shadow Creek are similarly sized campuses.

Student Demographics (TEA) Race / Ethnicity Distribution

Pearland High School Hispanic: 43.0% White: 34.8% African American: 12.6% Asian: 6.1%

Dawson High School Hispanic: 25.7% African American: 24.8% White: 24.3% Asian: 21.2%

Shadow Creek High School African American: 39.9% Asian: 25.2% Hispanic: 18.5% White: 12.2%

(Smaller population groups are included in TEA totals but omitted here for clarity.)

Socioeconomic & Program Indicators Metric Pearland HS Dawson HS Shadow Creek HS

Economically Disadvantaged 35.0% 29.9% 29.3% Emergent Bilingual (EL) 6.9% 5.3% 5.5% Special Education 11.9% 9.5% 9.1%

These figures are reported by TEA and are commonly used indicators of campus diversity and support needs.

Academic Accountability ⚖️

2025 TEA Accountability Rating

🌟Pearland High School: A 🌟Dawson High School: A 🌟Shadow Creek High School: A

All three campuses earned an A rating under the Texas accountability system, which combines student achievement, academic growth, and progress among student subgroups.

Graduation Outcomes🎓🧑‍🎓👩‍🎓👨‍🎓

Four-Year Federal Graduation Rate (Class of 2024) 🆙 Pearland High School: 97.2% Dawson High School: 98.4% Shadow Creek High School: 98.8%

Rates are reported without exclusions and reflect the percentage of students graduating within four years. Academic Distinctions (TEA)

Dawson High School received multiple TEA distinction designations in 2025, including: ELA/Reading Mathematics Science Social Studies Postsecondary Readiness Top 25% Growth Top 25% Closing the Gaps

Pearland High School and Shadow Creek High School earned A ratings without additional distinction listings on the campus summary sheets for that year.

Distinctions vary annually and are based on specific performance thresholds set by TEA.

Attendance Zones & Feeder Areas 🗺️📍🧭

Pearland High School and Dawson High School serve students zoned within Pearland ISD, with official boundaries determined by the district’s address-based zoning maps.

Shadow Creek High School serves students within Alvin ISD, with attendance zones published by that district.

District-published zoning tools remain the authoritative source for determining campus assignment. Athletics & Activities (Verified Highlights)

Pearland High School UIL-documented football state tournament appearances, including historical listings. District championship coverage reported during the 2025 football season.

Dawson High School UIL volleyball state tournament appearance in 2025. Houston Chronicle coverage documented Dawson’s first appearance in a UIL volleyball state final.

Shadow Creek High School UIL football state tournament appearances listed for 2018 and 2019.

Houston Chronicle reporting confirmed a 2025 UIL Class 6A girls track & field team state title. UIL records reflect official postseason participation and titles across sports.

Why This Data Matters 🧠

Each of these campuses serves a large, diverse student body, posts high graduation rates, and holds an A-level academic accountability rating. Differences among them are largely structural — enrollment size, attendance zones, and program emphasis — rather than quality indicators. This overview is designed to provide context, not conclusions.

• Sources 📕📗📘
• Texas Education Agency (TEA) — 2024–25 TAPR Campus Reports

Pearland ISD Zoning & Campus Information Alvin ISD Attendance Zone Maps University Interscholastic League (UIL) Records Houston Chronicle & ABC13 education and athletics reporting