Morgan El Magnet School, Galveston TX

Original Research by School Decision on Morgan El Magnet School

Morgan El Magnet School serves preK through fourth grade in Galveston, a barrier-island city with a mixed character divided into East End historic districts and downtown, a commercial center, and a West End that is largely residential and beachfront. The school sits in a community anchored by health care and education (UTMB is the largest employer), tourism, and maritime activity, with downtown civic life concentrated near the Strand and Rosenberg Library on the East End.

The school enrolls a small, economically challenged population. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The enrollment is predominantly Hispanic, with a significant Black population, and smaller numbers of white and Asian students. Demographic data on English learners and students with disabilities was not available.

Test results show proficiency in the below-average range for this grade band. In third grade, math proficiency stood at about half the students tested, and English language arts proficiency in Spanish was similarly around half. In fourth grade, math proficiency rose slightly above half, while Spanish language arts proficiency held at about half. These results place the school's overall proficiency index in the top quartile among districts in Galveston County, though proficiency within the school itself remains modest. Parents may want to look into the school's current instructional strategies and how teachers are addressing the gap between the school's county-relative standing and the absolute proficiency numbers.

The magnet designation signals a specialized academic focus; the Spanish language arts testing suggests a bilingual or Spanish-immersion strand. The district underwent a substantial consolidation and realignment following a bond approval in 2022. Publicly reported information indicates that Morgan and Rosenberg Elementary schools combined into one campus, with operations centered at the former Austin Middle School building as Austin Elementary School. This structural change occurred between the test year and the present, so parents considering this school should ask directly about how the consolidation has affected curriculum continuity, staffing, and the school's daily operations.

Galveston itself is on a growth trajectory tied to tourism and broader Houston metro expansion, with active new construction and development across the county. Housing in the school's ZIP code is moderately valued, with rents rising slightly year over year. The area's economy is anchored by UTMB, the university, major employers like Landry's and Moody Gardens, and the Port of Galveston. For families, this context means a stable job market in health care and hospitality, but also a community shaped by seasonal tourism and a lower median income relative to broader Houston.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 349%

School 49% · District 42% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 453%

School 53% · District 46% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 348%

School 48% · District 46% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 450%

School 50% · District 58% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

This schoolGALVESTON ISD, 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-income54%Higher-income29%25 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income47%Higher-income67%20 pp gap