Everything in the two-year-old Wagner High School was new and high-tech, and the number of students and various activities going on was mind-boggling. They have 212 faculty and staff members, which just about matches KCHS’s 274 student enrollment. The availability of courses and clubs seemed endless. All types of classes for just about everything – they even have dual credit sign language!

After my visit to a much bigger, bustling campus, the question is still floating around in my head: Does size really matter?

"It’s hard to be social because you don’t know a lot of people," said senior Emerald Martinez who attends San Antonio’s Wagner High School.

"I came from a small school, and I like small schools. Even after three years, I still haven’t adapted to big schools," Emerald added.

Like many of her peers, Emerald feels lost in the crowd of one of Texas’ mega-schools. But at KCHS and other 2A and 1A schools, students and teachers tend to look out for each other.

"In smaller schools, it’s more like a big family," said Terry Salinas, who graduated from Pawnee High School and a class of 16 in 1980.

In fact, as more families leave rural areas for job opportunities in the cities, the growth of Texas high schools in those urban areas has mushroomed. As a result, many high schools are becoming overcrowded and have been forced to either expand or build more schools.

So this raises several questions to ponder: Who’s better off? The large-school student or the small-school student? And, what misperceptions do KCHS students have about big schools?

Like most movies depict, it might seem that large high schools have more issues dealing with cliques than smaller schools because of the sheer number of students they have.

"I don’t really think that our school has cliques," WHS freshman Mealine Casanova said. "Yeah, you have people that hang out together, but it’s nothing severely separated or important in our school."

Another myth that seems to be busted about large schools is the fact that many students "fall through the cracks" in education or sometimes just in general, meaning that they are forgotten and sometimes left behind not grasping the material needed. This doesn’t particularly fall under the radar of large-school territory; small schools can have students who go through the same thing.

"Students not grasping the material can happen anywhere, not just in large schools," said WHS counselor Kathyrn Hancock. "However, we have methods in trying to ensure the education of our students here."

"I try to reach out a lot," said Kim Saunder, who teaches at WHS. "I would prefer to know each and every one of my students very well and they know me too, but with so many students, you can’t sometimes."

WHS Principal Joe Gonzalez said there really is no ideal school size; it’s up to individual students to determine what’s best for them.

"School size is important but not as important as the climate, culture or the learning environment," Gonzalez said. "Size does not matter."   

One thing small schools are known for is their communities’ involvement with students and their activities, and some worry that change from their usual comfort zone flusters students who go off to large universities.

"Students who grow up and are used to the small-school setting are comforted in this shield that communities sometimes create," KCHS Principal Harold Steele said. "There’s so much support and encouragement for the students and their activities. That’s why it can sometimes be hard for those who are used to that to go out in the real world and learn that it isn’t always there."

Another difference between small and large schools is the number of activities, both athletically and academically, they are able to offer. Small schools don’t have the staff or the money to fund and match such offerings as larger schools.

Although, the staffing and funding at larger schools seems to be more complex, some still note that small schools can have the same effect.

"I think one huge misconception is that a small school cannot prepare students for university coursework as a bigger school," said KCHS science teacher Yvette Buehring. "If the same courses are offered and taught well, they will be prepared."