Longfellow Middle, San Antonio TX

Original Research by School Decision on Longfellow Middle

Longfellow Middle is a regular public middle school serving grades six through eight in San Antonio, located on the city's southeast side. The school enrolls a student body that is predominantly Hispanic, with a very high proportion of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic profile of the neighborhood it serves.

The academic picture is challenging. On the state assessment (STAAR), the school's proficiency rates across tested subjects are substantially below the midpoint among Bexar County districts. In English language arts, between a quarter and just under a third of students test at proficient or above across the three grade levels, with eighth grade showing the highest performance. Math proficiency is notably weaker: sixth grade reaches one in ten students, seventh grade drops to a very small fraction, and eighth grade recovers slightly to around one in six. Science proficiency at eighth grade sits at roughly one in five, while social studies proficiency is extremely low. The pattern suggests students face particular difficulty in mathematics and social studies, and that proficiency tends to improve slightly from seventh to eighth grade, though it remains well below state benchmarks. A parent may want to ask the school directly about remediation efforts and what support systems exist for students struggling in math, given the notably low seventh-grade results.

San Antonio ISD, the district housing Longfellow, has been in substantial transition. In late 2023, the board voted to close or significantly restructure numerous schools to address decades of declining enrollment, directly affecting thousands of students. The district has also undertaken a curriculum overhaul, moving to standardize math and reading instruction across all campuses around a phonics-based literacy approach and a common math curriculum, replacing the prior variation from school to school. These are systemic shifts that frame the educational context: the school operates within a district making deliberate changes to teaching methods and student pathways. Additionally, San Antonio voters approved a major bond measure in 2020 that funded facility renovations at dozens of campuses, including improvements that continued through 2025, so families may see ongoing infrastructure upgrades at the school.

San Antonio itself is one of the fastest-growing U.S. cities, though its core is built on a dense, historic urban fabric centered on downtown and the River Walk. The immediate area around Longfellow is a mix of established residential neighborhoods. Housing values in the 78228 zip code are moderate for the region, and rent is relatively affordable. The local economy is anchored by healthcare, military installations, finance, and a growing technology sector, providing diverse employment for working families.

The school's enrollment is small to moderate for a middle school, with roughly balanced numbers across the three grades. The demographic composition reflects the broader San Antonio pattern: the student body is overwhelmingly Hispanic and economically disadvantaged. Special education enrollment data and English learner data were not available in the reporting.

Longfellow appears to serve families for whom proximity, affordability, or district assignment are primary factors in school choice. The weak state assessment results, particularly in math, suggest students graduate from eighth grade with significant academic gaps. Families should view this school in the context of San Antonio ISD's curriculum restructuring efforts and ask what targeted academic support exists, especially in mathematics, and whether the school's participation in the district's standardized curriculum rollout is showing early signs of impact.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 610%

School 10% · District 16% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 74%

School 4% · District 9% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 817%

School 17% · District 21% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 626%

School 26% · District 33% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 723%

School 23% · District 34% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 829%

School 29% · District 34% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Science

Grade 822%

School 22% · District 26% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 83%

School 3% · District 10% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

This schoolSAN ANTONIO 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 6Lower-income23%Higher-income67%44 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income22%Higher-income33%11 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income25%Higher-income61%36 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income8%Higher-income33%25 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income3%Higher-income14%11 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income17%Higher-income19%2 pp gap