Magnolia Montessori for All, Austin TX

Original Research by School Decision on Magnolia Montessori for All

Magnolia Montessori for All is a free charter school in East Austin serving pre-K through 6th grade, with a Montessori educational model. The school has a diverse student body, with large shares of Hispanic and white families, and close to half the enrollment qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

The school's academic picture is mixed by grade. In early elementary, reading proficiency is stronger. Third-graders show a majority at proficient levels in language arts, and fourth-graders post stronger results in both reading and math than their upper-grade peers. The school shows a decline in proficiency as students move up, particularly in math. Fifth-graders post lower results in math, and sixth-graders show notably weak results in both subjects. Science proficiency in fifth grade is below half. When looking across all proficiency levels, the school reports that about three-quarters of students reach the "approaches" level (the entry tier), about half meet grade-level standards, and about a fifth demonstrate mastery. The reading results outpace math results school-wide.

Against other districts in Travis County, Magnolia's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile, a genuine strength given the economic diversity of the student body and the number of lower-performing districts in the county.

The school's structure reflects its Montessori approach. Enrollment is small, with a mix of age ranges in each classroom. Class sizes appear manageable, and the pre-K enrollment is substantial relative to elementary grades. The distribution of students across grades suggests a pyramid common in younger schools or those still growing. Data on special education enrollment and English learner status are not available in the school's public reporting.

A parent may want to look into the school's upper-grade trajectory with the administration, particularly the decline in math proficiency from fifth to sixth grade, to understand whether this reflects curriculum transitions, student composition changes, or implementation factors. The small sixth-grade cohort also makes those results less stable year to year.

The school is part of Montessori for All, a district that recently expanded Magnolia into middle school starting in fall 2025, allowing families to stay within the free public Montessori system through 8th grade. The new middle campus operates phone-free and requires families to provide their own transportation, factors to consider for families considering enrollment. Housing values in the 78724 zip code are modest for Austin and show recent softening; rental prices have edged upward slightly. The area is part of East Austin, where the city is experiencing significant growth and changing demographics.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 346%

School 46% · District 46%

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 535%

School 35% · District 35%

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 618%

School 18% · District 18%

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 354%

School 54% · District 54%

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 459%

School 59% · district not reported

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Grade 571%

School 71% · District 71%

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Grade 675%

School 75% · District 75%

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

Science

Grade 529%

School 29% · District 29%

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

This schoolMONTESSORI FOR ALL, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income35%Higher-income67%32 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income43%Higher-income70%27 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income50%Higher-income91%41 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income67%Higher-income86%19 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income26%Higher-income61%35 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income30%Higher-income55%25 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income25%Higher-income45%20 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income0%Higher-income43%43 pp gap