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Downtown Montessori At Ida B Wells Academy

Public, Magnet Grades PK, KG-6
1509th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools
Better than 67% of Texas elementary schools
Summary

Downtown Montessori At Ida B Wells Academy is a public elementary school in Dallas, TX, serving 341 students from pre-kindergarten through 6th grade as part of the Dallas Independent School District (Isd). This school stands out for its remarkable academic growth, especially in the upper grades, and its ability to achieve strong results with a diverse student body while operating with impressive efficiency.

The school's most notable strength is its exceptional 6th-grade performance, where 73.91% of students were proficient in both Reading and Math in the 2025-2026 school year—far exceeding district and state averages. This suggests the Montessori approach builds a strong foundation that pays off as students prepare for middle school. Downtown Montessori also excels at supporting students who often face the biggest challenges, ranking in the 80th percentile for Special Education students and the 76th percentile for those from low socioeconomic backgrounds. This is a stark contrast to nearby schools like Cesar Chavez Learning Center and Ignacio Zaragoza Elementary, which serve similar populations but rank in the bottom quartile statewide. Additionally, the school achieves these results while spending only $5,092 per student, a fraction of what nearby schools like Dr Martin Luther King Junior Arts Academy ($16,461) spend, making it a model of cost-effective education.

While the school shows a consistent upward trend in its state ranking, there are areas for growth. Performance dips in 4th and 5th grade, particularly in Math, suggesting a transition challenge in the middle elementary years. The school also serves male students exceptionally well (72nd percentile) but has room to improve support for female students (65th percentile). Interestingly, Gifted and Talented students rank lower than expected (26th percentile), indicating the school may need to provide more enrichment for its highest achievers. Overall, Downtown Montessori is a beacon of effective urban education, proving that demographic factors don't have to dictate academic outcomes.

341
Students ?
14.3
Student/teacher ratio ?
$12,210
Per pupil spending ?
65.7%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 1901 Main St
       Dallas, TX  75201

(972) 749-2500

District: Dallas Independent School District (Isd)

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
53.4%
African American:
24.9%
White:
13.8%
more
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 Compare Downtown Montessori At Ida B Wells Academy to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Holding steady — 63rd percentile in 2023 → 67th in 2026
Strengths
Test scores above the Texas average (59% vs 50% meeting standards)
Among the top-ranked schools in Dallas Independent School District (Isd)
Above the Texas median (67th percentile)
Worth a look
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school59%
District avg47%
Texas avg50%
1,509th of 4,627
Texas public elementary schools ?
Top 33%▲ up 5 pts since 2023
From top 37% (2023) to top 33% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
34th of 149Elementary Schools in the Dallas Independent School District (Isd)
441st of 951Dallas Independent School District (Isd) among Texas districts
Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202662.11509 of 462767.4%★★★☆☆
202557.01722 of 465163.0%★★★☆☆
202448.32280 of 471051.6%★★★☆☆
202357.31735 of 464762.7%★★★☆☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202662.9657 of 240672.7%★★★★☆
202529.31493 of 190521.6%★☆☆☆☆
202455.8925 of 244362.1%★★★☆☆
202355.4898 of 244363.2%★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202554.21169 of 291859.9%★★★☆☆
202434.12561 of 366830.2%★★☆☆☆
202353.21499 of 355657.8%★★★☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202659.61597 of 457565.1%★★★☆☆
202559.91286 of 374465.7%★★★☆☆
202441.82692 of 465842.2%★★☆☆☆
202341.22720 of 458840.7%★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202643.12262 of 307526.4%★☆☆☆☆
202542.51913 of 261927.0%★☆☆☆☆
202325.12645 of 298011.2%★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202665.11201 of 441372.8%★★★★☆
202568.9837 of 364477.0%★★★★☆
202442.32632 of 446541.1%★★☆☆☆
202351.41965 of 440155.4%★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202666.01094 of 452075.8%★★★★☆
202554.71481 of 370560.0%★★★☆☆
202446.12483 of 459446.0%★★☆☆☆
202347.12377 of 452147.4%★★☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202665.41286 of 458271.9%★★★★☆
202552.21617 of 373956.8%★★★☆☆
202447.22346 of 464749.5%★★☆☆☆
202369.71140 of 458575.1%★★★★☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202666.7861 of 430180.0%★★★★☆
202551.41499 of 354957.8%★★★☆☆
202439.72616 of 429239.0%★★☆☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankTexas percentileRating
202461.51130 of 310863.6%★★★☆☆
How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)
Special Education (2026)80th percentile+13 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2026)76th percentile+8 vs school
Hispanic (2026)73rd percentile+5 vs school
African American (2026)73rd percentile+5 vs school
Male (2026)72nd percentile+5 vs school
Female (2026)65th percentile~ school
White (2024)64th percentile+12 vs school
English Language Learner (2025)60th percentile-3 vs school
Gifted and Talented (2026)26th percentile-41 vs school
By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?
Reading63%+9 vs state
Mathematics55%+10 vs state

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Frequently Asked Questions about Downtown Montessori At Ida B Wells Academy

Downtown Montessori At Ida B Wells Academy ranks 1509th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

In the 2024-25 school year, 341 students attended Downtown Montessori At Ida B Wells Academy.

Students at Downtown Montessori At Ida B Wells Academy are 53% Hispanic, 25% African American, 14% White, 6% Two or more races, 1% Asian.


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Latest Texas data All new data »
2025–26 STAAR, STAAR EOC & STAAR Spanish test scoresJun 12, 2026
2021–22 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 10, 2026
2023–24 dropout rates & graduation ratesSep 17, 2025
2024–25 STAAR EOC & STAAR Spanish test scoresJun 23, 2025


SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Texas Education Agency.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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