Brenham ISD serves approximately 4,865 students across seven campuses: four elementary schools, two middle-level campuses, and one high school.
The district operates with a 13:1 student-to-teacher ratio, lower than the Texas state average of 15:1, and 100% of its teachers hold valid licensure.
The district spends $12,064 per student annually and employs eight full-time counselors. Teachers average 11.9 years of experience.
The district's mission centers on creating an environment that develops leaders, thinkers, innovators, and communicators, and families who move here consistently cite the small-district advantage: your children are known by name, teachers are accessible, and parent involvement is welcomed rather than tolerated.
A significant indicator of the community's commitment to education is the passage of a $39 million bond in November 2025, along with a Voter Approval Tax Rate Election (VATRE) that generates approximately $2.435 million in recurring annual revenue for teacher and staff compensation.
Both measures passed without raising the district's overall tax rate.
Superintendent Clay Gillentine described the result as a reflection of trust in the district and a shared commitment to the future of Brenham.
The bond funds 41 critical infrastructure projects across campuses, including HVAC replacements, roof repairs, plumbing upgrades, and safety improvements.
Design and construction are scheduled to begin in spring 2026.
Brenham ISD's four elementary schools serve students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade.
Alton Elementary consistently performs as the highest-rated campus in the district, exceeding both district and state averages on STAAR reading and math assessments in third and fourth grades.
Brenham Elementary, with 536 students and teachers averaging 14.3 years of experience, provides a stable, experienced instructional environment.
Krause Elementary and Austin Elementary round out the elementary options.
Class sizes at the elementary level are manageable, and the district's recent bond and VATRE passage are specifically designed to reduce class sizes further by attracting and retaining qualified educators.
For physician families with young children, the elementary experience in Brenham offers what larger districts often struggle to provide: teachers who see your child as an individual, short commutes from residential neighborhoods, and a community where parents and educators interact regularly outside of school settings, whether at the grocery store, at Friday night football games, or at Blue Bell Creameries events.
Brenham Middle School serves approximately 710 students and provides the bridge between elementary and high school.
Teachers at this level average 10.6 years of experience.
The district's middle-level programming includes the Gifted and Talented (GT) screening process, which uses multiple measures to identify students with exceptional abilities.
Each year, the district conducts formal nominations beginning in late fall, with campus screenings in January and full GT testing in February.
The GT program includes Challenging Scientific Investigations (CSI), a Brenham ISD initiative providing enrichment opportunities for second through sixth grade GT students to explore science in greater depth.
Brenham Junior High serves as the second middle-level campus.
The junior high building dates to the 1960s, and voters rejected a $153 million bond in 2022 that would have funded a replacement facility.
While the 2025 bond addresses critical maintenance needs at this campus (HVAC, plumbing, electrical), the long-term future of the facility remains a community discussion.
For physician families, this is worth noting: the district is actively investing in its infrastructure but is still working toward a comprehensive solution for its oldest campus.
Brenham High School is the sole high school in the district, serving approximately 1,556 students in grades 9 through 12.
It is classified as a UIL 5A school.
The Class of 2023 achieved a 93.7% four-year graduation rate, above the Texas state average of 90%, with a dropout rate of only 0.7%.
The average SAT score was 986 and the average ACT composite was 22.1.
The AP participation rate is 37%, and the school offers 22 Advanced Placement courses, a strong selection for a community of this size.
The AP course catalog for 2024-2025 includes AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Environmental Science, AP Calculus AB, AP Precalculus, AP Statistics, AP Computer Science A, AP Computer Science Principles, AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition, AP United States History, AP World History: Modern, AP U.S. Government and Politics, AP Macroeconomics, AP Psychology, AP Human Geography, AP Seminar, AP Spanish Language and Culture, AP 2-D Art and Design, AP 3-D Art and Design, AP Art History, and AP Drawing.
This breadth of AP offerings allows motivated students to build a competitive college application without leaving the public school system.
Dual credit coursework is available through Blinn College for juniors and seniors with a minimum 2.75 GPA.
Eligible courses include English IV, U.S. History, Government, Economics, and Sociology, allowing students to earn college credit at approximately $150 per course in tuition.
This partnership with Blinn, located in the same community, gives Brenham students a direct and affordable pathway to college credit that many suburban districts cannot match.
Brenham High School has a proud athletic tradition.
The Cubs compete in 11 varsity sports: baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, powerlifting, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, and volleyball.
The school has won UIL state championships in baseball (1970, 1991, 2010), softball (2004), and girls' golf (1983).
Notable alumni include NFL players Courtland Sutton (Denver Broncos), Malcom Brown, Limas Sweed, and Wilson Whitley; WNBA player Teaira McCowan; MLB player Cecil Cooper; aeronautical engineer and rocket pioneer Frank Malina (Class of 1930); and Texas State Senator Lois Kolkhorst (Class of 1982).
Beyond athletics, the district offers fine arts programs including band, choir, theater arts, and visual arts.
The marching band program is active in UIL competitions.
Students also participate in academic UIL events, FFA (Future Farmers of America), and various student organizations.
The combination of competitive athletics, strong fine arts, and career-focused programming gives students at Brenham High School a well-rounded experience that prepares them for whatever comes after graduation.
For physician families who prioritize small class sizes, classical curricula, or faith-based education, Brenham offers three established private school options.
All are religiously affiliated, reflecting the community's strong faith traditions, but each takes a distinct approach to education.
Given physician income levels, private school tuition in Brenham represents a fraction of what families pay in Houston, Austin, or Dallas, making private education accessible without the financial strain common in metropolitan areas.
Grace Lutheran School (1212 W. Jefferson Street)
Grace Lutheran is the most established private school in Brenham, founded in 1947 and affiliated with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS).
The school has recently expanded from its traditional PK through eighth grade program to include high school grades, with the first high school students enrolled beginning in 2023.
Current enrollment is approximately 104 students across early childhood through twelfth grade, with an average class size of 8 students and a student-teacher ratio of approximately 10:1.
Grace Lutheran follows a classical Christian education model, which means students study Latin, logic, rhetoric, classical literature, history, and the sciences within a framework that integrates faith and learning.
The school's headmaster, Pastor Isaac Schuller, leads a faculty committed to developing what the school describes as well-rounded students with exceptional critical thinking skills.
Parent reviews are consistently strong.
One parent wrote that her children are "happy, safe, and getting an excellent education" and wished she had moved them out of public school sooner.
Another family noted that their children jumped into the program mid-year and immediately began learning Latin, English grammar, music, and logic.
The school offers basketball, drill team, flag football, and volleyball.
It also provides music instruction, woodworking and cooking classes, a pro-life club, and mission trip opportunities for high school students.
Grace Lutheran ranks in the top 20% of Texas private schools for least expensive tuition and highest percentage of faculty with advanced degrees.
Citadel Christian School (2111 S. Blue Bell Road)
Citadel Christian School is an independent, non-profit, co-educational school on a 45-acre campus on the Redeemer Church property in southeast Brenham.
Originally founded in 1993 as Brenham Christian Academy, the school rebranded as Citadel Christian School to reflect a renewed identity and educational approach.
It now serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade with approximately 102 students and a 6:1 student-to-teacher ratio, one of the lowest in the region.
Citadel follows a classical curriculum that integrates faith and learning.
The school is accredited through the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) and is a member of the Association of Classical and Christian Schools (ACCS).
Tuition is graduated by grade level, ranging from approximately $4,500 for pre-kindergarten to $8,500 for high school, well below the Texas private school average of $10,943 for elementary and $12,479 for high school.
Eighty percent of Citadel graduates go on to attend a four-year college.
The school offers seven sports programs and two extracurricular activities.
Application deadlines are September 1 and January 10, with a rolling review process.
The campus itself is notable: 45 acres in a rural setting provides space for outdoor learning and recreation that urban private schools cannot match.
St. Paul's Christian Day School (St. Paul's Lutheran Church campus)
St. Paul's Christian Day School, founded in 1984, is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and serves children from toddler age through sixth grade.
With approximately 205 students, it is the largest private school in Brenham by enrollment.
The school is accredited by Cognia (formerly AdvancED) and licensed by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.
St. Paul's takes a developmental approach, focusing on the whole child across spiritual, emotional, social, intellectual, and physical dimensions.
The school emphasizes a partnership between home, school, and church.
Programs begin with toddler care and progress through a structured early childhood sequence (3-year-old, 4-year-old, and kindergarten programs) before moving into elementary grades.
A summer camp program is also available.
St. Paul's is a member of Christian Schools International (CSI) and the Evangelical Lutheran Education Association (ELEA).
For physician families with younger children who want a faith-based early childhood and elementary option with a larger peer group than the classical schools offer, St. Paul's provides a well-established program with decades of community trust.
First Baptist Church School operates an early childhood program in Brenham.
Christ Lutheran Church also runs a day school with an educational foundation.
For families seeking secular private education or specialized programs (Montessori, Waldorf, International Baccalaureate), the nearest options are in the Houston metropolitan area, approximately 75 miles southeast.
Families willing to make the drive to Houston can access a wide range of elite private schools including The Kinkaid School, St. John's School, Houston Christian High School, The Emery/Weiner School, and others.
Brenham is home to the main campus of Blinn College, founded in 1883 as Mission Institute, making it one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Texas and the first county-owned public junior college in the state.
The Brenham campus sits on 100 acres and serves as the residential and athletic hub of the six-campus Blinn College District (Brenham, Bryan, RELLIS, Schulenburg, Sealy, and Waller).
Total district enrollment exceeds 17,900 students.
Blinn's academic transfer rate of 46% ranks first among all Texas community colleges, far exceeding the statewide average of 25.2%.
The college offers associate degrees and certificates in 68 academic fields.
For families with college-age children, the Texas A&M-Blinn TEAM Program is particularly notable: students co-enroll at Blinn and Texas A&M University, completing their first courses at Blinn before transferring to Texas A&M as fully admitted Aggies.
The TEAM Program has an 89% graduation rate.
Additional pathways include the Texas A&M Engineering Academy at Blinn-Brenham, the ASCEND Nursing Program with Texas A&M, and the RELLIS Academic Alliance.
The Brenham campus provides on-campus housing for approximately 1,000 students and fields 12 intercollegiate sports teams.
The Blinn Buccaneers have won 50 national championships since 1987, including four NJCAA football national championships (1995, 1996, 2006, 2009).
The campus is also home to the Dr. W.W. O'Donnell Performing Arts Center, which hosts community events and performances throughout the year.
For physicians and their spouses, Blinn offers continuing education and professional development courses.
The college's $370 million annual economic impact on the local economy also helps explain the stability and growth of the Brenham community.
Texas A&M University in College Station, approximately 45 minutes from Brenham, is a Tier-1 research university and one of the largest in the United States.
Its proximity provides Brenham residents with access to continuing education, professional conferences, cultural events, Division I athletics, and the academic resources of a major university system.
For physician spouses pursuing advanced degrees or career changes, Texas A&M offers graduate programs across business, engineering, public health, education, and dozens of other fields.
The Bryan-College Station metro area also provides access to the Texas A&M Health Science Center, which may be relevant for physicians interested in academic partnerships, research collaboration, or teaching opportunities.
Brenham's educational landscape gives physician families a clear set of options.
The public school system offers strong graduation rates, 22 AP courses, dual credit through Blinn, and a community that just invested $39 million in its schools.
Three private schools provide classical Christian education with class sizes between 6 and 15 students at tuition levels that are a fraction of what metropolitan private schools charge.
And Blinn College, with the top academic transfer rate in the state and direct pathways to Texas A&M, means your children can start a college education right here in Brenham.
Whether your children thrive in the energy of a diverse public school, the rigor of a classical private academy, or the dual-credit fast track to a four-year university, this community provides the structure and support to help them succeed.
