Summary:
The 78704 zip code in Austin, Texas, is home to six high schools serving grades 6-12 or 9-12, including a nationally-ranked magnet school, a traditional comprehensive high school, a charter school, and three specialized alternative campuses, creating a highly polarized educational landscape.
The standout performer is Richards School For Young Women Leaders, a magnet school that ranks in the top 5% of Texas high schools with a 98.9% graduation rate and 5-star rating. In stark contrast, Travis Early College High School, the only traditional comprehensive school serving 1,011 students, ranks in the bottom 10% of the state with a 79.1% graduation rate and critically low test scores. The three alternative schools—Travis County Juvenile Detention Center, Leadership Academy, and Graduation Preparatory Academy—serve highly at-risk populations with near-zero proficiency rates and very low graduation rates. The only charter school, Premier High School-Austin South Campus, ranks in the bottom 20% of the state with a 40.5% graduation rate, showing that school type alone does not guarantee success.
Key metrics reveal extreme disparities: per-student spending ranges from $3,574 at Graduation Preparatory Academy to $67,217 at the Juvenile Detention Center, while graduation rates vary from 98.9% at Richards School to 40.5% at Premier High School. The data shows a clear link between economic disadvantage and performance, with Richards School having the lowest free/reduced lunch rate (36.74%) and highest outcomes, while Travis ECHS (84.67% economically disadvantaged) struggles despite its "Early College" designation. These schools are part of the Austin Independent School District (Isd) and Premier High Schools districts.
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