Summary:
There are six elementary schools in the 78704 zip code of Austin, Texas, all part of the Austin Independent School District (Isd), serving grades from Pre-Kindergarten through 5th grade, and they present a stark contrast in academic performance and socioeconomic demographics.
Barton Hills Elementary and Zilker Elementary are the top performers, ranking in the 98th and 93rd-94th percentiles statewide, respectively, with very low rates of economic disadvantage. In contrast, Dawson Elementary ranks in the 0th percentile and faces significant challenges, despite having the highest spending per student ($15,163) and the lowest student-teacher ratio (8.8:1). Galindo Elementary also struggles, ranking in the 32nd percentile with a high rate of economic disadvantage (90.43% free/reduced lunch) and a notable number of tests administered in Spanish. Becker Elementary shows a positive trend, improving from the 69th to the 83rd percentile, while Travis Hts Elementary represents a middle ground with a slight downward trend.
A key takeaway is that higher spending and lower student-teacher ratios do not guarantee better outcomes, as the most challenged schools like Dawson receive the most resources yet have the lowest performance. This suggests that factors like poverty and language barriers play a profound role. The data also reveals inconsistent performance within schools, such as at Becker where 5th-grade Reading proficiency was 87.23% while 4th-grade Math was only 39.73%, indicating that instructional strengths can vary by grade level. Overall, the 78704 zip code illustrates a clear divide between high-performing, low-poverty schools and low-performing, high-poverty schools, making it essential for parents to consider these dynamics when choosing a school.
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