Frank Madla El, San Antonio TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Frank Madla El

Frank Madla Elementary is a small elementary school serving prekindergarten through fifth grade in south San Antonio, located in the 78242 zip code. The enrollment of roughly four hundred students is split fairly evenly across grades, with slightly larger fifth and fourth grade cohorts.

The school's student body is predominantly Latino, reflecting the broader demographics of its neighborhood. An overwhelming share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a community with very limited household income. The racial composition and economic makeup point to a school serving a traditionally underserved population.

On state testing, Frank Madla's results are weak across all subjects and grades. In math, proficiency rates range from the low twenties to low thirties across third, fourth, and fifth grade. In English language arts, proficiency sits in the low twenties for third and fourth grade, rising slightly to around a third of students by fifth grade. Science proficiency in fifth grade is particularly low. Across all tested subjects, fewer than a third of students meet or exceed grade-level standards. Only a small share master grade-level material. The majority of students fall into the "approaches standard" category, meaning they are working toward but have not yet met grade-level expectations. A parent may want to look into what intervention and support structures the school has in place, given these results.

The school is part of South San Antonio ISD, a district that underwent a major governance change in February 2025. The Texas Education Agency removed the locally elected board of trustees and superintendent and installed a state-appointed board of managers with a new superintendent. This shift happened after nearly two decades of reported trustee and administrative dysfunction and declining student outcomes. The board of managers will govern for at least several years before the state evaluates whether to return control to elected trustees. Prior to the state takeover, the district had closed three campuses and consolidated high school operations into a single comprehensive high school due to budget deficits and enrollment decline.

San Antonio itself is one of the fastest-growing U.S. cities, with a diverse economy anchored by healthcare, military installations, and technology. The neighborhoods around the school are evolving, with growth concentrated in various parts of the region. Housing costs in the immediate area are below the state and national benchmarks, reflecting the economic profile of families the school serves.

Frank Madla operates as a neighborhood school with no special magnet or charter designation. It serves the grades and families assigned to its attendance zone. For families in this area, the school provides early childhood and elementary instruction within the public system, though test results indicate considerable gaps in student proficiency that warrant conversation with school leadership about support and resources available to address them.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 322%

School 22% · District 25% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

Grade 430%

School 30% · District 32% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

Grade 524%

School 24% · District 31% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 323%

School 23% · District 32% · ▼ 9 pts below district

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

Grade 421%

School 21% · District 32% · ▼ 11 pts below district

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

Grade 530%

School 30% · District 27% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Science

Grade 511%

School 11% · District 11%

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

This schoolSOUTH SAN 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.