Best Public Schools in Zip Code 78744

The 24 schools in Austin's 78744 zip code, serving elementary through high school grades, are predominantly high-poverty institutions with an average of 86.5% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, and they are managed by several districts including the Austin Independent School District (Isd), Del Valle Independent School District (Isd), and charter networks like KIPP Texas Public Schools and Harmony Public Schools - Central Texas.

The standout school in the area is Blazier Elementary, the only school to earn a 3-star rating for three consecutive years, consistently exceeding state averages in Reading and Math despite 60.94% economic disadvantage. In contrast, John P Ojeda Middle is the lowest-ranked school overall (0-star, 5th percentile) but shows a remarkable anomaly with 85.71% of its Algebra I students proficient, far above the state average of 54.03%. Hillcrest Elementary has shown the most improvement, jumping from the 15th to the 42nd percentile in two years. Among middle schools, KIPP Paseo Preparatory School is the only one with a 2-star rating for three years, with 6th-grade Math proficiency (45.83%) significantly higher than district and state averages.

Overall, 83% of schools rank in the bottom half of Texas schools, with no clear correlation between spending per student and performance—Widen Elementary spends the most ($16,988 per student) but ranks in the 3rd percentile, while top-performing Blazier Elementary spends a modest $10,709. AISD elementary schools like Palm Elementary generally outperform Del Valle ISD elementary schools, but this advantage disappears at the middle school level, where both Mendez Middle and John P Ojeda Middle rank in the bottom 18th percentile or lower. Charter schools show mixed results, with Harmony School Of Innovation - Austin performing relatively well while Idea Bluff Springs Academy ranks in the 5th percentile, indicating that school type alone does not overcome the challenges of high poverty.