Best Public Schools in Zip Code 78717

Zip code 78717, located in the Austin/Round Rock area of Texas, is home to six schools serving grades PK-8 (with one charter school covering PK-12), offering families a mix of high-performing traditional public schools and a unique alternative option. The educational landscape is dominated by the Round Rock Independent School District (Isd), which operates four of the six schools, while Leander Independent School District (Isd) and Harmony Public Schools - Central Texas each run one school. Total enrollment across all schools is 5,944 students, with no traditional public high school within the zip code, meaning students in grades 9-12 typically attend schools in neighboring areas.

The standout schools in this area are Patsy Sommer Elementary and Elsa England Elementary, both Round Rock ISD schools ranking in the 99th and 98th percentiles statewide, respectively. Patsy Sommer is the academic powerhouse, ranking 23rd out of over 4,600 elementary schools and achieving 100% proficiency in 6th-grade math, while Elsa England is a consistent high-achiever with 98.46% proficiency in the same subject. For middle school, Cedar Valley Middle leads the pack, ranking in the 98th percentile and excelling in advanced math, with 95.61% of students proficient in Algebra I compared to the state average of 54.03%. In contrast, Harmony School Of Endeavor Austin offers a unique K-12 option with a perfect 100% graduation rate and 0% dropout rate, though its test scores are mixed, particularly in middle school math.

Key metrics reveal a strong correlation between socioeconomic factors and performance, with the highest-performing schools having very low free/reduced lunch rates (around 3.5%), while Harmony School has a higher rate of 31.7%. A notable finding is the "math dip" in 7th grade across both middle schools, where proficiency drops significantly before rebounding in 8th grade. Additionally, the feeder pattern from Patsy Sommer to Cedar Valley Middle creates a high-performing pathway, while Rutledge Elementary (Leander ISD) and Pearson Ranch Middle (Round Rock ISD) offer solid alternatives, with Rutledge having the lowest student-teacher ratio at 13.8:1. Overall, families in 78717 have access to exceptional elementary and middle schools, with the trade-off of needing to look outside the zip code for high school options.