Magnolia ISD to see enrollment rise as development increases

Magnolia ISD expects to see an increase in enrollment from 14,929 in the 2024-25 school year to 18,355 in the 2029-30 school year, according to data presented by consulting firm Zonda Education at the district's Jan. 14 meeting.

The big picture

The firm stated the findings were based on the local job growth, housing construction and land development potential. In their research, when looking at Houston-area new home closings based on school districts, MISD is ranked eighth for new home closings, while Conroe ISD is ranked second and Waller ISD is ranked seventh, Zonda officials said. MISD currently has 38 actively building subdivisions, along with 15 future subdivisions with 33,400 lots in the planning stages, according to the data presented.

Student yields are increasing in areas including the subdivisions of Magnolia Springs and Mills Creek in the northern area of the district, said Bob Templeton, vice president for Zonda's school district segment.

What they're saying

• “Each fall, we get student data from the district and geolocate them based on their addresses and then we compare those numbers to the number of [people] occupied in the area. So this is your yield, and it does change in emerging subdivisions,” Templeton said.
• "Looking at the map, the areas of concern for growth we need to be looking at is the area of Audubon and Magnolia Parkway in at least a short term [way], and West Magnolia that feeds Williams and a bit of Audubon [elementary schools]. I think that's why we redrew the [rezoning map] a couple of years ago to try and keep up with the growth in a particular feeder area," MISD Superintendent Jason Bullock said.

What’s next

Based on the future enrollment numbers, Templeton said Audubon and Williams elementary schools will be approaching capacity in two to four years. Meanwhile, Magnolia West High School will be approaching capacity in two years.