Comprehensive Master Plan - City of Alvin

Community Snapshotpersons without a mortgage and why the percent of household income spenton housing is less than typical. As displayed in Figure 2.7, Age of Structure,of the 8,501 housing units in the community, 32 percent were constructedduring the 1970s when the population increased by 89.1 percent. An equalpercentage of structures have been built in the twenty five years since 1980.The remaining 38 percent – or 2,993 units – were constructed before 1970. Themedian age of structures is, therefore, 30 years old, compared for instance to18 years in Pearland where significant new development is occurring.EDUCATIONAL Attainment • • •The Alvin Independent School District (ISD) serves the City of Alvin andsurrounding areas. The district abuts numerous other school districts,including Pearland ISD, Friendswood ISD, Santa Fe ISD, Hitchcock ISD,Danbury ISD, Fort Bend ISD, and Houston ISD, as shown in Figure 2.8, AlvinISD Boundaries. Comparative numbers are presented in Table 2.7,Education Statistics, for the 2002 school year, the most recent year for whichdata has been published by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). In additionto statewide statistics, data is included for each of the adjacent schooldistricts, considered for the purpose of this analysis as “peer” districts.The comparisons in Table 2.7, Education Statistics, indicate that the Alvin ISDhas comparable attendance and annual drop‐outrates with those of the peer districts andstatewide. The percentage of students whograduated is slightly higher than statewide andthe Santa Fe and Houston districts, yet lowerthan that of the other peer districts.Friendswood, for instance, has over a 94 percentgraduation rate. Of those who did not graduate,Alvin had a higher percentage of those whoreceived GED or continued high school thangenerally all of the other districts and statewide.The SAT and ACT scores are each higher thanthe statewide averages and compare favorablywith the other rural districts and relatively closeto those of the more urban districts, includingFort Bend, Friendswood, and Pearland. Thepercentage of economically disadvantagedstudents is 48.5 percent in Alvin, which is lowerthan the state and the Hitchcock and HoustonFIGURE 2.8ALVIN ISD BOUNDARIESSource: Texas Education Agency• The Alvin ISD receivedan accountability ratingof “Exemplary” in 2001‐02, which is only held by11.5 percent of alldistricts in Texas• Nearly 30 percent ofresidents have at least ahigh school education,which is in the top tier ofpeer communities• Those with some collegeeducation or anassociate degree accountfor 28 percent and 6.4percent of thepopulation, respectively• Retail trade is the singlelargest economic sector,contributing 96establishments, 1,353employees, and anannual payroll of$25,168,000Page 2-17