The top reported proficiency rate is 78% in English language arts. The lowest is 53% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Maplewood El
Maplewood Elementary is a small early-elementary school in central Austin serving grades pre-K through five with an enrollment of about four hundred students. The school sits in a neighborhood that has seen steady property values hold relatively firm, with rental prices moderating slightly year-over-year. This is a standard public school within Austin ISD, not a magnet or charter, operating in an aging campus that will eventually benefit from the district's large bond program, which has already delivered new buildings at several peer elementaries across the system.
The academic picture is mixed. Reading proficiency in third grade reaches about three-fourths of students, which is solid, while third-grade math sits at the same level. Fifth-grade mathematics drops to about two-thirds proficiency, and fifth-grade science falls to about half. This is a pattern: the school shows stronger results in English language arts and math in the primary grades, then sees a dip as students reach the upper elementary level in abstract math and science concepts. Across all subjects, roughly seven-tenths of fifth graders meet grade-level standards in math and reading combined, while fewer than half master advanced content. The school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among Travis County districts, a genuine strength, though the science results warrant attention as a potential area where additional support or instruction might help.
Enrollment is relatively balanced across grade levels with no obvious concentration in any year. About three in ten students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mixed-income community. The student body is diverse: roughly half white, about a third Hispanic, and smaller shares of Black, multiracial, and Asian students. A small group of fourth and fifth graders are taking Spanish-language assessments, suggesting some bilingual instruction is present, though the numbers are too small to draw conclusions about proficiency.
Austin ISD faces significant headwinds. The district has lost students over the past decade, prompting a consolidation plan that will close ten schools in the coming year. Maplewood is among the schools staying open, which provides stability for families here. However, district-wide budget deficits and property tax increases have reshaped the landscape. In November 2024 voters approved a property tax increase to fund staff raises and reduce the deficit, a direct impact on homeowners' bills. A large bond program is modernizing facilities, but older campuses like Maplewood have not yet undergone full rebuilds, though they remain operational and maintained.
This is a neighborhood school with solid primary-grade fundamentals and a demographic profile that spans income and race fairly broadly. The upper elementary science results are the softer spot. For families seeking a standard public elementary without a specialized program or magnet draw, and who are comfortable with a small campus in an established neighborhood, Maplewood offers a known quantity during a period of significant district change. A parent may want to explore with the school what additional science support or curriculum shifts might address the fifth-grade results and whether any bilingual or dual-language options exist beyond the handful of Spanish speakers currently enrolled.
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