Ortega Elementary is in the Austin ISD and earned a 5/10 rating from Great School’s as of November 2026. The campus sits at 1135 Garland Ave. in East Austin’s 78721 zip code and serves Pre-K 3 through 5th grade, plus Early Childhood Special Education. Ortega keeps the same attendance zone for 2026-27, but its middle school changed: Martin Middle School closed after 2025-26, so Ortega now feeds Kealing Middle School. Ortega students continue on to Eastside Early College High School. Scroll down to read more about homes near Ortega Elementary School.
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Ortega Elementary School Snapshot
- Address: 1135 Garland Ave., Austin, TX 78721
- Phone: (512) 414-4417
- School District: Austin ISD
- Grades Served: Pre-K 3 through 5th grade (plus Early Childhood Special Education)
- Enrollment: 211 students (2025-26)
- Student-Teacher Ratio: 8.3:1
- Principal: Jennifer Stephens
- School Hours: 7:40 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. per the campus site footer; the campus attendance page lists 7:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. for K-5
- Mascot: the Super Stars
- Opened: 1959
- GreatSchools Rating: It is 5/10 as of November 2026.
Ortega has served East Austin since August 1959 and is named for Pfc. Daniel F. Ortega, a UT graduate and Army medic who was killed in Normandy in July 1944 while carrying a wounded soldier and received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. The school was a National Blue Ribbon School in 1993-94. It is one of Austin ISD’s smallest elementary schools: in 2025-26, Ortega enrolled 211 students with an 8.3 to 1 student-teacher ratio, and 81.0% of students were economically disadvantaged, 42.7% emergent bilingual and 27.0% received special education services, according to TEA. 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, Ortega Elementary earned an overall B with a score of 85. That is up 20 points from a D (65) in 2024-25. Ortega was a B (87) in 2021-22 and a C (79) in 2022-23, then dropped to a D in 2023-24 (66) and 2024-25 before this year’s rebound.
- Overall TEA Rating (2025-26): B (85)
- Student Achievement: C, 71 out of 100 (based on STAAR performance)
- School Progress: B, 88 out of 100 (Academic Growth B/88, Relative Performance C/76)
- Closing the Gaps: C, 79 out of 100
- Prior Overall Ratings: B (87) in 2021-22, C (79) in 2022-23, D (66) in 2023-24, D (65) 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. Ortega’s overall rating is driven by School Progress, which rose from a D (66) to a B (88) in 2025-26 because Academic Growth, which tracks year-over-year student gains on STAAR, jumped from 66 to 88. Every other measure also improved: Student Achievement, the share of students meeting STAAR standards, rose from an F (57) to a C (71), Relative Performance, which compares results with schools serving similar shares of economically disadvantaged students, rose from an F (59) to a C (76), and Closing the Gaps, which measures results for student groups, rose from a D (63) to a C (79). Ortega earned a Postsecondary Readiness distinction in 2021-22 and none since. TEA identified the campus for comprehensive support and improvement in 2023-24, and for 2025-26 it is identified for targeted support and improvement, a lighter level of state support.
Source: Texas Education Agency accountability summaries for Ortega Elementary (campus 227901126), 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 Ortega Elementary
These are the programs Austin ISD and the Ortega campus list for this school, including two-way Spanish dual language from Pre-K through 5th grade.
- Pre-K and ECSE: Ortega has Pre-K 3 and Pre-K 4, including a Pre-K 3 dual language class, plus Early Childhood Special Education. TEA counted 21 Pre-K 3 and 22 Pre-K 4 students in 2025-26.
- Dual Language: Ortega offers two-way Spanish dual language from Pre-K through 5th grade for native Spanish and native English speakers.
- STREAM: A STREAM focus (science, technology, reading, engineering, arts and math) includes school-wide engineering challenges for grades 2 through 5 each fall and spring and a Family STREAM Night.
- AVID: Ortega is an AVID Elementary campus for grades K through 5.
- Special education: The campus houses a Life Skills program and ECSE, and about 27% of students received special education services in 2025-26 (TEA).
- After-school and child care: Free ACE after-school programming (at Ortega since 2013-14), after-school meals, City of Austin after-school care at nearby Givens Recreation Center with daily transportation, and Child, Inc. child care on site.
- Family supports: Breakfast in the classroom, free meals for all students and the Super Star Market food pantry.
- PTA: Ortega has a PTA and a parent support specialist.
Ortega’s programs were not affected by the 2026-27 consolidation, though its graduates now continue to Kealing Middle School instead of Martin. For current details on Pre-K, dual language, special education or after-school care, contact Ortega Elementary at (512) 414-4417.
Where is Ortega Elementary School?
Ortega Elementary is located at:
1135 Garland Ave.
Austin, TX 78721
Ortega Elementary Attendance Zone Map
Ortega’s zone covers East Austin neighborhoods around the campus in the 78721 zip code, including Brooksdale, Knollwood on the Colorado River, Joseph Edward, Hobbs Addition, Johnston Terrace, Chernosky, Green Valley, Pecan Valley, Pecan Grove, Oak Springs and Harmony Heights. The zone did not change for 2026-27. Austin ISD’s October 2025 draft would have reassigned part of the Govalle zone to Ortega, but that proposal was dropped from the final plan approved in November 2025.
Austin ISD plans Phase 1 boundary changes for 2027-28, with a board vote expected in October 2026, and a comprehensive district-wide boundary and feeder realignment for fall 2028. Confirm any address with Austin ISD’s school finder before buying.
Homes Zoned to Ortega Elementary: Market Stats
The figures below cover single-family homes sold through Unlock MLS whose addresses fall inside Ortega Elementary’s 2026-27 attendance zone, based on Austin ISD’s official SY 2026-27 boundary map, not the school typed into each listing. Brooksdale accounts for the largest share of sales, followed by Knollwood on the Colorado River, Joseph Edward, Hobbs Addition and Johnston Terrace. Of the zone’s 156 sales since September 2022, 147 were tagged in MLS to Martin Middle School, which has closed, so the MLS middle school field lags the 2026-27 feeder pattern.
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 | 44 | $518,500 | $375.61 | 98.9% | 26 days |
| Sept 2023 – Aug 2024 | 35 | $529,000 | $388.56 | 97.1% | 56 days |
| Sept 2024 – Aug 2025 | 34 | $500,000 | $336.04 | 97.1% | 49 days |
| Trailing 12 Months (Sept 2025 – Aug 2026) | 43 | $499,000 | $324.66 | 98.0% | 20 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 Ortega Elementary attendance boundary, so the figures reflect today’s zone rather than the school typed into each listing.
The median sale price in the Ortega zone eased from $518,500 in 2022-23 to $499,000 over the trailing twelve months, a decline of about 3.8%. Median price per square foot fell more, from $375.61 to $324.66 (-13.6%), because the median home sold grew from about 1,328 to 1,537 square feet.
This is a small market, with 34 to 44 sales a year, so medians can swing. Sales went from 44 homes in 2022-23 to 43 in the past twelve months. Median days on market fell from 26 to 19.5 days, after slower years of 56 and 49 days, and sellers received a median of 98.0% of their final list price, compared with 98.9% in 2022-23.
Current Inventory Snapshot
As of October 2, 2026
| Status | Count | Median List Price | Median Days on Market |
| Active | 28 | $442,500 | 117 days |
| Active Under Contract | 3 | $720,000 | 100 days |
| Pending | 1 | $465,000 | 131 days |
Data sourced from Unlock MLS. Statistics deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Single-family homes only, same zone method as above.
32 homes are currently active, under contract, or pending in the Ortega Elementary zone. With 28 active listings against about 3.6 sales a month over the past year, the zone has roughly 7.8 months of inventory, a buyer’s market.
The median active list price of $442,500 is below the trailing-twelve-month median sale price of $499,000, and active listings have been on the market a median of 117 days, much longer than the homes that sold.
Homes for Sale Near Ortega Elementary School
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Neighborhoods Zoned to Ortega Elementary
Knollwood on the Colorado, below, is the one neighborhood in the Ortega zone with its own guide, and it lies entirely inside the zone.
The zone also includes Brooksdale, Joseph Edward, Hobbs Addition, Johnston Terrace, Chernosky, Green Valley, Pecan Valley, Pecan Grove, Oak Springs and Harmony Heights, which don’t have separate guides.
Knollwood on the Colorado
3-5 beds, 2-3 baths, 1,300-2,500 sqft, Mid $400,000s – High $600,000s
Feeder Middle and High Schools
The entire Ortega zone feeds Kealing Middle School and Eastside Early College High School for 2026-27. Ortega previously fed Martin Middle School, which closed after 2025-26.
Feeder Middle School
- Kealing Middle School
1607 Pennsylvania Ave., Austin, TX 78702
Great Schools Rating: 9/10
Feeder High School
- Eastside Early College High School
900 Thompson St., Austin, TX 78702
Great Schools Rating: 2/10
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
Ortega earned a B with a score of 85 in TEA’s 2025-26 accountability ratings, released in August 2026. That is up 20 points from a D (65) in 2024-25, after a D (66) in 2023-24.
Academic Growth rose from 66 to 88, lifting School Progress to a B. Student Achievement, Relative Performance and Closing the Gaps all improved to C ratings from D or F.
Yes, at a lighter level than before. TEA identified Ortega for comprehensive support and improvement in 2023-24, and for 2025-26 it is identified for targeted support and improvement.
No. A draft plan would have added part of the Govalle zone, but it was dropped from the final plan approved in November 2025. Austin ISD plans Phase 1 boundary changes for 2027-28 and a district-wide realignment for fall 2028, so confirm addresses with the district’s school finder.
The zone includes Brooksdale, Knollwood on the Colorado River, Joseph Edward, Hobbs Addition, Johnston Terrace, Chernosky, Green Valley and Pecan Valley.
Programs, Feeder Schools and Home Prices
For 2026-27, Ortega feeds Kealing Middle School and Eastside Early College High School. Ortega fed Martin Middle School until Martin closed after 2025-26.
Yes. Ortega offers two-way Spanish dual language from Pre-K through 5th grade for native Spanish and native English speakers, including a Pre-K 3 dual language class.
Yes. Ortega has Pre-K 3 and Pre-K 4 plus Early Childhood Special Education. TEA counted 21 Pre-K 3 and 22 Pre-K 4 students in 2025-26.
Over the trailing twelve months, 43 single-family homes sold in the Ortega zone at a median of $499,000, down about 3.8% from $518,500 in 2022-23. The median price per square foot was $324.66.
As of October 2, 2026, there were 28 active single-family listings in the Ortega zone, about 7.8 months of inventory, which is a buyer’s market. The median list price was $442,500.
Looking to Buy a Home Near Ortega Elementary?
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Rebecca Jacks
Broker Associate, CRS, ABR, SFR · Eleven Oaks Realty
Call or text (512) 827-8323 · info@11OaksRealty.com
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