Summary:
The 14 schools in Austin's 78704 zip code, serving elementary through high school grades within the Austin Independent School District (Isd) and a few specialized charters, present a starkly divided educational landscape where a student's address can determine vastly different academic outcomes.
The top performers are clear standouts. Richards School For Young Women Leaders is the academic powerhouse, boasting a 98.9% graduation rate and test scores exceeding 90% proficiency, far outpacing every other high school. At the elementary level, Barton Hills Elementary and Zilker Elementary are the top performers, with Barton Hills achieving a 96% proficiency rate in 4th-grade math. In stark contrast, Dawson Elementary and Travis Early College High School face severe challenges, with Dawson posting 0% proficiency in 4th-grade math and Travis Early College having a 9.4% dropout rate. The only traditional middle school, Lively Middle, performs in the 37th percentile, acting as a critical bottleneck where students from struggling elementary schools often fail to catch up.
The most significant factor driving these disparities is economic disadvantage. The top-performing schools serve populations with very low free/reduced lunch rates (9-22%), while struggling schools like Galindo Elementary (90%) and Dawson (83%) serve overwhelmingly impoverished communities. Spending per student varies wildly, from $3,574 at Graduation Preparatory Academy to over $60,000 at specialized campuses like the Travis County Juvenile Detention Center, but high spending does not guarantee high test scores. The magnet school Richards School For Young Women Leaders proves that a selective, supportive environment can produce exceptional results, while the "Early College" label at Travis Early College does not overcome the foundational challenges of its high-poverty student body.
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