By 1995, a Montessori program established at Garden Oaks Elementary became popular in the neighborhood, and there were fewer spaces available than willing applicants. In 2010, Terry Grier, the superintendent of HISD, proposed making Garden Oaks an all-Montessori school, with the condition that it gets the necessary federal funding. As a result, some parents protested the proposal. The proposal and the political debate divided the Garden Oaks community. In order to expand the Montessori program to all students, the school received a grant from the Magnet School Assistance Program, a federal government program. As part of the 2012 bond, there were plans to renovate and expand the Garden Oaks Montessori building. The total cost was $26.6 million.