Mark Twain Elementary School opened its doors on September 11,1950. It was named for one of America's most beloved writers and humorists, Mark Twain, whose real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens. Mark Twain lived from 1835 to 1910. His best known books, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885) were written as children's stories.

The school opened with approximately 800 students in 1950. It served a newly developed neighborhood in southwest Houston. As the neighborhood families matured, school enrollment dropped off.

Mark Twain was actually scheduled for closure in the early 1980's, but the repopulating of the neighborhood by younger families and the innovative instructional program which includes the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme have led to increased enrollment. Since 2005, Mark Twain Elementary School has been one of the few IB World Schools in HISD. All of Mark Twain’s students participate in the PYP and the Literary Development Magnet. We also have a Dual Language program that comprises one class at each grade level.

Also in 2005, Mark Twain was rebuilt as a state-of-the-art school. It is located in the heart of the Braeswood Place neighborhood near the Houston Medical Center, where people come from around the world to study and work. The school is surrounded by amenities that include the Weekley Family YMCA, McGovern Public Library and Helen’s Park.

Mark Twain Elementary School is a 2010 TEA Exemplary School.