Kealing Middle School is in the Austin ISD and earned a 9/10 rating from Great School’s as of November 2026. The campus sits at 1607 Pennsylvania Ave. in East Austin’s 78702 zip code and serves 6th through 8th grade. Kealing is the main receiving school for Martin Middle School, which Austin ISD closed after 2025-26, so its 2026-27 zone adds about 9.9 square miles of former Martin neighborhoods east of downtown. By address, Kealing students now go on to McCallum, Eastside Early College, Northeast Early College, LBJ Early College or Austin High School. Scroll down to read more about homes near Kealing Middle School.
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Kealing Middle School School Snapshot
- Address: 1607 Pennsylvania Ave., Austin, TX 78702
- Phone: (512) 414-3214
- School District: Austin ISD
- Grades Served: 6th through 8th grade
- Enrollment: 1,232 students (2025-26)
- Student-Teacher Ratio: 17.2:1 (2024-25)
- Principal: Tim Estes
- School Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (2026-27, per the Kealing Magnet FAQ)
- Mascot: the Hornets
- Opened: 1930 (reopened 1986)
- GreatSchools Rating: It is 9/10 as of November 2026.
Kealing opened in 1930 as Austin’s first junior high for African American students and is named for educator and activist Hightower Theodore Kealing. It closed in 1971 during desegregation and reopened in 1986 with a districtwide magnet program, which added a liberal arts focus in 1993 and 6th grade in 2004. In 2025-26, Kealing enrolled 1,232 students, with 23.9% economically disadvantaged, 6.2% emergent bilingual and 11.5% receiving special education services, and about 53% identified as gifted and talented. Enrollment is expected to change in 2026-27 as former Martin students arrive, and Martin’s state-mandated Turnaround Plan is being carried out at Kealing with extra staffing and academic supports. Tim Estes was confirmed as permanent principal in December 2025. GreatSchools and TEA measure different things. GreatSchools weighs test results against schools with similar student populations, while TEA’s rating, below, is the state’s official accountability measure.
Academic Performance: Texas Education Agency Accountability Rating
In TEA’s 2025-26 accountability ratings, released in August 2026, Kealing Middle School earned an overall A with a score of 90, the same as its A (90) in 2024-25. Before that, Kealing was a B campus for three straight rated years, scoring 88 in 2021-22 and 2022-23 and 87 in 2023-24.
- Overall TEA Rating (2025-26): A (90)
- Student Achievement: A, 94 out of 100 (based on STAAR performance)
- School Progress: A, 91 out of 100 (Academic Growth A/91, Relative Performance A/91)
- Closing the Gaps: C, 79 out of 100
- Prior Overall Ratings: B (88) in 2021-22, B (88) in 2022-23, B (87) in 2023-24, A (90) in 2024-25
- Austin ISD (2025-26): B (81) district-wide
Under TEA’s scale, an A reflects exemplary performance, B is recognized, C is acceptable, D needs improvement, and F is unacceptable. Kealing’s rating is carried by Student Achievement, the share of students meeting STAAR standards, which rose to an A (94), and School Progress, an A (91), with both Academic Growth and Relative Performance, which compares results with schools serving similar shares of economically disadvantaged students, at 91. Closing the Gaps, which measures results for student groups, was the weak spot, slipping from a B (82) to a C (79). Kealing earned distinctions in ELA/Reading, Mathematics and Postsecondary Readiness in 2021-22 and none since.
TEA identified Kealing for additional targeted support in 2023-24 and for targeted support and improvement in 2024-25 and 2025-26, which reflects results for specific student groups rather than the campus overall. In September 2026, TEA transferred Martin Middle School’s four consecutive F ratings to Kealing, so a future F at Kealing could trigger state intervention. The 2026-27 student body, with former Martin students added, will be the basis for the next rating.
Source: Texas Education Agency accountability summaries for Kealing Middle School (campus 227901044), 2022 through 2026 (2025-26 ratings released August 2026). The 2022-23 and 2023-24 ratings were delayed by litigation and released in 2025. TEA issues updated ratings annually, so verify the current rating directly with Austin ISD or TEA before making a decision based on it.
Programs at Kealing Middle School
Kealing runs two programs on one campus: the Kealing Academy for students zoned to the school, and the Kealing Magnet, which any Austin ISD student can apply to. Being zoned to Kealing places a student in the Academy, not the Magnet.
- Kealing Magnet Program (application): The magnet, founded in 1986, is an advanced academic program in which all core classes are taught at an advanced level and 6th graders take a signature science and math inquiry class. Students anywhere in Austin ISD may apply. Applicants submit report cards, two teacher recommendations, spring STAAR scores, a video presentation, and an in-person essay. Each part is worth 10 points. Half of acceptances go to the top rubric scores, and half are divided proportionally among Austin ISD middle school feeder patterns. Applications are taken in Round 1 of Enroll Austin only (Jan. 12 to Feb. 6 for 2026-27).
- Kealing Academy: The neighborhood program for students zoned to Kealing. Academy and Magnet students share the campus under the motto ‘One School, Multiple Programs, Success for All.’
- Fine Arts: Art, band, choir, guitar, orchestra and theater.
- Athletics: UIL teams for 7th and 8th graders. Tickets are sold online through Austin ISD Hometown Ticketing.
- Gifted and Talented: GT services. About 53% of Kealing students were identified as gifted and talented in 2025-26 (TEA data via Texas Tribune).
- PTA: The Kealing PTA communicates through Konstella and the weekly Hornet Herald.
Former Martin households assigned to Kealing get transfer priority to Lively or Marshall. Kealing’s 2026-27 school day runs from 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., earlier than most Austin ISD middle schools. For current details on magnet admission, the Academy, fine arts or athletics, contact Kealing Middle School at (512) 414-3214.
Where is Kealing Middle School?
Kealing Middle School is located at:
1607 Pennsylvania Ave.
Austin, TX 78702
Kealing Middle School Attendance Zone Map
Kealing’s 2026-27 zone has two parts. The long-standing part includes central neighborhoods such as Hyde Park, Mueller, Lincoln Gardens, University Park, Ridgetop and Grandview Place. The added part is Kealing’s share of the former Martin Middle School zone, about 9.9 square miles east of downtown that covers parts of the Norman-Sims, Govalle, Ortega, Sánchez, Zavala and Pecan Springs elementary zones. Austin ISD closed Martin at the end of 2025-26 and reassigned its students by address to Kealing, Marshall or Lively.
Because the zone grew so much, check any East Austin address carefully. Austin ISD plans Phase 1 boundary changes for 2027-28, with a board vote expected in fall 2026, and a district-wide boundary and feeder realignment for fall 2028, so confirm any address with Austin ISD’s school finder before buying.
Homes Zoned to Kealing Middle School: Market Stats
The figures below cover single-family homes sold through Unlock MLS whose addresses fall inside Kealing Middle School’s 2026-27 attendance zone, based on Austin ISD’s official SY 2026-27 boundary map, not the school typed into each listing. Of the zone’s 2,240 sales since September 2022, 1,139 were in the area reassigned from Martin and 1,101 in Kealing’s long-standing area. The largest subdivisions by sales include Grandview Place, Glenwood, University Park, Mueller, Hyde Park and Lincoln Gardens. The MLS school field lags the new boundaries: 860 listings in the zone were tagged to Martin.
3-Year Closed Sales Trend
| Period | Homes Sold | Median Sale Price | Median $/Sq Ft | Sale-to-List Ratio | Median Days on Market |
| Sept 2022 – Aug 2023 | 549 | $685,800 | $498.15 | 97.7% | 27 days |
| Sept 2023 – Aug 2024 | 520 | $640,000 | $469.25 | 97.4% | 41 days |
| Sept 2024 – Aug 2025 | 555 | $660,000 | $450.08 | 97.1% | 41 days |
| Trailing 12 Months (Sept 2025 – Aug 2026) | 616 | $635,000 | $431.19 | 97.2% | 34 days |
Data sourced from Unlock MLS. Statistics deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Single-family homes only. Each Austin ISD listing was geocoded and matched to Austin ISD’s SY 2026-27 Kealing Middle School attendance boundary, so the figures reflect today’s zone rather than the school typed into each listing.
The median sale price across the Kealing zone fell from $685,800 in 2022-23 to $635,000 over the trailing twelve months, a change of about -7.4%. Median price per square foot fell further, from $498.15 to $431.20 (-13.4%), because the median home sold grew from 1,389 to 1,530 square feet.
Sales volume rose from 549 homes in 2022-23 to 616 in the past twelve months. Median days on market was 34 days over the past year, compared with 27 days in 2022-23, and sellers received a median of 97.2% of their final list price, down from 97.7%.
The two parts of the zone sit at different price levels. In Kealing’s long-standing area, the median went from $768,315 in 2022-23 to $731,750 over the past twelve months, down about 4.8%, on 243 and 322 sales. In the area added from Martin, the median went from $599,450 to $540,000, down about 9.9%, on 306 and 294 sales.
Current Inventory Snapshot
As of October 2, 2026
| Status | Count | Median List Price | Median Days on Market |
| Active | 282 | $639,900 | 79 days |
| Active Under Contract | 38 | $625,000 | 27 days |
| Pending | 22 | $535,000 | 44 days |
Data sourced from Unlock MLS. Statistics deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Single-family homes only, same zone method as above.
342 homes are currently active, under contract, or pending in the Kealing Middle School zone. With 282 active listings against about 51.3 sales a month over the past year, the zone has roughly 5.5 months of inventory, a balanced market leaning toward buyers.
The median active list price of $639,900 is close to the trailing-twelve-month median sale price of $635,000, and active listings have been on the market a median of 79 days.
Homes for Sale Near Kealing Middle School
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Neighborhoods Zoned to Kealing Middle School
The neighborhoods below have their own guides and are zoned to Kealing Middle School for 2026-27. Several are only partly in the zone, so check the specific address: about 36% of Mueller’s sales, 47% of Ridgetop’s, 64% of Hancock’s, 70% of Chernosky’s and 77% of the Gardens’ fall inside it.
The zone also includes Grandview Place, Glenwood, University Park, Brooksdale, Spillar & Greenwood, Foster, College Heights, Springdale Hills, Stone Gate, Senate Hills, Manor Hill, Forest Hills and Grant Park, which don’t have separate guides.
Austin Heights
1-7 beds, 1-6 baths, 560-4,500 sqft, Mid $300,000s – $2.2MMs
Baker
3-4 beds, 2-3 baths, 1,700-3,100 sqft, Mid $500,000s – Mid $600,000s
Blackshear Prospect Hill
1-5 beds, 1-4 baths, 400-3,500 sqft, Low $200,000s – $2MMs
Buena Vista
2-4 beds, 1-4 baths, 550-2,900 sqft, Mid $400,000s – $1.3MMs
Chernosky
1-5 beds, 1-3 baths, 400-2,000 sqft, Mid $100,000s – High $300,000s
Cherrywood
2-6 beds, 1-5 baths, 650-3,500 sqft, Low $300,000s – $2.1MMs
Chestnut
1-6 beds, 1-4 baths, 400-3,100 sqft, Mid $200,000s – $1.7MMs
Chestnut Commons
1-4 beds, 1-3 baths, 600-1,488 sqft, High $200,000s – Mid $400,000s
Driving Park
1-5 beds, 1-4 baths, 800-3,000 sqft, Low $500,000s – $1.5MMs
East Cesar Chavez
1-5 beds, 1-7 baths, 500-3,500 sqft, Mid $200,000s – $1.2MMs
Gardens
2-4 beds, 1-4 baths, 700-2,400 sqft, Low $600,000s – $1.4MMs
Govalle
1-7 beds, 1-6 baths, 400-3,700 sqft, Low $300,000s – $1.9MMs
Hancock
2-7 beds, 1-6 baths, 650-6,800 sqft, Mid $400,000s – $1.6MMs
Hyde Park
1-9 beds, 1-7 baths, 500-4,400 sqft, Mid $300,000s – $2.3MMs
JJ Seabrook
2-5 beds, 1-5 baths, 900-3,000 sqft, Mid $300,000s – $1.4MMs
Knollwood on the Colorado
3-5 beds, 2-3 baths, 1,300-2,500 sqft, Mid $400,000s – High $600,000s
Lincoln Gardens
1-4 beds, 1-5 baths, 512-2,217 sqft, Low $200,000s – High $600,000s
McKinley Heights
1-5 beds, 1-5 baths, 550-2,900 sqft, High $300,000s – $1.4MMs
Mueller
1-6 beds, 1-5 baths, 500-6,500 sqft, High $100,000s – $1.6MMs
Ridgetop
1-5 beds, 1-4 baths, 550-3,100 sqft, Mid $300,000s – $1.2MMs
Riverside
2-6 beds, 1-6 baths, 1,000-5,200 sqft, Low $400,000s – $1.2MMs
Rosewood
1-6 beds, 1-5 baths, 450-3,100 sqft, High $300,000s – $1.8MMs
Tillery Square
2-5 beds, 1-5 baths, 1,100-3,000 sqft, Mid $400,000s – $1.9MMs
Truman Heights
2-5 beds, 1-4 baths, 600-2,400 sqft, High $300,000s – Mid $800,000s
Feeder Elementary and High Schools
With the Martin area added, Kealing feeds five high schools by address for 2026-27: about 38% of the zone’s home sales fall in the McCallum High School zone, about 38% in the Eastside Early College High School zone, about 16% in the Northeast Early College High School zone, about 5% in the LBJ Early College High School zone and about 3% in the Austin High School zone. Ten elementary zones feed Kealing, led by Norman-Sims, Maplewood, Lee, Campbell and Govalle.
Feeder Elementary Schools
- Norman-Sims Elementary School (about 16% of the zone’s home sales)
4001 Tannehill Ln., Austin, TX 78721
Great Schools Rating: 2/10 - Maplewood Elementary School (about 13% of the zone’s home sales)
3808 Maplewood Ave., Austin, TX 78722
Great Schools Rating: 10/10 - Russell Lee Elementary School (about 13% of the zone’s home sales)
3308 Hampton Rd., Austin, TX 78705
Great Schools Rating: 9/10 - Lee Lewis Campbell Elementary Media & Performing Arts Institute (about 12% of the zone’s home sales)
2613 Rogers Ave., Austin, TX 78722
Great Schools Rating: 4/10 - Govalle Elementary School (about 12% of the zone’s home sales)
3601 Govalle Ave., Austin, TX 78702
Great Schools Rating: 2/10 - Blackshear Elementary School (about 11% of the zone’s home sales)
1712 E. 11th St., Austin, TX 78702
Great Schools Rating: 5/10 - George I. Sánchez Elementary School (about 8% of the zone’s home sales)
73 San Marcos St., Austin, TX 78702
Great Schools Rating: 2/10 - Ortega Elementary School (about 7% of the zone’s home sales)
1135 Garland Ave., Austin, TX 78721
Great Schools Rating: 5/10 - Pecan Springs Elementary School (about 4% of the zone’s home sales)
3100 Rogge Ln., Austin, TX 78723
Great Schools Rating: 1/10 - Zavala Elementary School (about 3% of the zone’s home sales)
310 Robert T. Martinez Jr. St., Austin, TX 78702
Great Schools Rating: 4/10
Feeder High Schools
- McCallum High School (about 38% of the zone’s home sales)
5600 Sunshine Dr., Austin, TX 78756
Great Schools Rating: 8/10 - Eastside Early College High School (about 38% of the zone’s home sales)
900 Thompson St., Austin, TX 78702
Great Schools Rating: 2/10 - Northeast Early College High School (about 16% of the zone’s home sales)
7104 Berkman Dr., Austin, TX 78752
Great Schools Rating: 3/10 - LBJ Early College High School (about 5% of the zone’s home sales)
7309 Lazy Creek Dr., Austin, TX 78724
Great Schools Rating: 2/10 - Austin High School (about 2% of the zone’s home sales)
1715 W. Cesar Chavez St., Austin, TX 78703
Great Schools Rating: 7/10
Source: Austin ISD’s official SY 2026-27 attendance boundary and school reassignment layers (updated July 30, 2026); shares are based on where the zone’s single-family home sales since Sept 2022 fall. Feeder patterns can change, and Austin ISD plans boundary changes for 2027-28 and a district-wide realignment for fall 2028, so confirm with the district.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ratings and Zoning
Kealing earned an A with a score of 90 in TEA’s 2025-26 accountability ratings, released in August 2026, matching its A (90) in 2024-25. It was a B in 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24.
In September 2026, TEA transferred Martin Middle School’s four consecutive F ratings to Kealing because Kealing is the main receiving school for Martin’s students. As a result, a future F at Kealing could trigger state intervention.
Kealing’s 2026-27 zone adds about 9.9 square miles east of downtown from the former Martin zone, covering parts of the Norman-Sims, Govalle, Ortega, Sánchez, Zavala and Pecan Springs elementary zones. Former Martin households assigned to Kealing get transfer priority to Lively or Marshall.
No. Zoned students attend the Kealing Academy. The Kealing Magnet requires a separate application through Enroll Austin’s Round 1, which ran January 12 to February 6 for 2026-27.
Use Austin ISD’s school finder and confirm with the district, especially in the former Martin area. Austin ISD plans Phase 1 boundary changes for 2027-28 and a district-wide boundary and feeder realignment for fall 2028.
Programs, Feeder Schools and Home Prices
Applicants submit report cards, two teacher recommendations, spring STAAR scores, a video presentation and an in-person essay, each worth 10 points. Half of acceptances go to the top rubric scores, and half are divided proportionally among Austin ISD middle school feeder patterns.
It depends on the address. About 38% of the zone’s home sales fall in the McCallum zone, 38% in Eastside Early College, 16% in Northeast Early College, 5% in LBJ Early College and about 3% in Austin High.
Kealing offers art, band, choir, guitar, orchestra and theater, and UIL athletics for 7th and 8th graders.
Over the trailing twelve months, 616 single-family homes sold in the Kealing zone at a median of $635,000, down about 7.4% from $685,800 in 2022-23. Homes in the long-standing part of the zone had a median of $731,750, compared with $540,000 in the area added from Martin.
As of October 2, 2026, there were 282 active single-family listings with a median list price of $639,900. That is about 5.5 months of inventory, a balanced market.
Looking to Buy a Home Near Kealing Middle School?
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Rebecca Jacks
Broker Associate, CRS, ABR, SFR · Eleven Oaks Realty
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