Summary:
The 78629 zip code, covering parts of Georgetown and Gonzales, Texas, is home to three elementary schools serving grades Pre-K through 5th, offering a stark contrast in academic performance and socioeconomic conditions between two very different school districts.
The standout school in the area is Rancho Sienna Elementary, part of the high-performing Liberty Hill Independent School District (Isd). It consistently ranks in the top 10% of Texas elementary schools, with average reading proficiency at 74.7% and math at 68.2%. In stark contrast, Gonzales North Avenue and Gonzales Elementary, both in the Gonzales Independent School District (Isd), struggle significantly. Gonzales North Avenue has seen its state ranking decline from the 51st percentile to the 27th percentile, with reading proficiency at just 43.1% and math at 35.6%. Gonzales Elementary serves only grades K-2 and therefore has no state test scores to compare. The achievement gap is enormous: in 3rd grade reading, Rancho Sienna’s proficiency rate (81.25%) is more than 2.5 times higher than Gonzales North Avenue’s (31.85%).
Key metrics highlight the disparities. Rancho Sienna has a favorable student-teacher ratio of 14.8, while the Gonzales schools have ratios near 19:1. Spending per student varies, with Gonzales Elementary spending the most ($11,444) but serving the youngest students, while Rancho Sienna achieves top results with a middle level of spending ($9,265). Science is a weak point for both schools, but especially for Gonzales North Avenue, where only 17.34% of 5th graders are proficient, well below the state average of 29.57%. For parents, the choice is clear: Rancho Sienna offers exceptional academic performance and smaller class sizes, while the Gonzales schools face significant challenges, including declining performance and larger class sizes.
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