Rodriguez Montessori Elementary

Rodriguez Montessori Elementary is a small public Montessori school in the San Antonio Independent School District (Isd), serving 205 students in grades PK-5 in a community where about 59% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch—a notably lower poverty rate than nearby schools, which often exceed 90%.

Academically, Rodriguez Montessori shows a striking contrast between subjects. The school consistently outperforms its immediate neighbors—like Carvajal Elementary and Ogden Elementary—in Reading, with 3rd graders scoring 38.5% proficient compared to the district average of 34.4%. However, Mathematics is a critical weakness: 5th-grade Math proficiency was 0% in the most recent year, far below the district (33.8%) and state (47.4%). This extreme gap between Reading and Math is the school’s most defining challenge. Interestingly, the school excels in serving Special Education students, ranking in the 55th percentile statewide—a remarkable achievement compared to its overall low state ranking. Nearby Irving Dual Language Academy, just 1.1 miles away, achieves much higher proficiency rates (e.g., 57.7% in 3rd-grade Reading), showing that strong performance is possible in the same district.

Rodriguez Montessori spends $20,149 per student—significantly more than nearby schools like Carvajal ($14,056) or Ogden ($11,193)—yet academic outcomes remain low overall. The school’s performance is also volatile from year to year, partly due to its small size, where a single class can skew results. For parents, this school offers a unique Montessori approach that appears to boost Reading and support Special Education students effectively, but families should be aware of the serious challenges in Math and the inconsistency in results across grades.