Welcome to our independent review of Round Rock Independent School District (ISD). This article is intended to give parents an accurate and unbiased assessment of Round Rock schools and education. This information was compiled in June 2009, and it will be updated as needed to reflect changes within the Round Rock ISD or other relevant changes.
The School District at a Glance
Let’s start with a basic overview of Round Rock ISD’s location, size and other statistics. This school district is located in the southern part of Williamson County and the northwest portion of Travis County. The district includes the city of Round Rock, as well as portions of Austin and Cedar Park. The ISD is spread out over 100 square miles, which includes a mix of suburban neighborhoods and farm / ranch land.
Currently, the ISD includes the following:
- 4 high schools
- 1 ninth-grade center
- 9 middle schools
- 30 elementary schools
- 5 alternative education centers
- Approximately 41,000 students *
* The number of students within the school district has increased by approximately 20% over the last five years. This is testament to the steady growth of the Round Rock population.
Already, you can see one of the primary benefits the Round Rock ISD offers — an abundance of schools. At the elementary level, you can be fairly certain that a school will be nearby regardless of where you live. This is a big draw for parents. There are also plenty of middle schools, relative to the number of students.
Over the years, new schools have been constructed as needed to keep pace with the growing Round Rock population. So overcrowding is not as much of a problem in Round Rock, as it is with many other school districts across the country. The current student-to-teacher ratio is about 16:1.
Round Rock ISD Achievements
The individual ratings within Round Rock ISD are all over the spectrum. All schools are rated at the “Acceptable” level or higher, some are rated as “Recognized,” and a handful of schools are rated as “Exemplary.” Visit the ISD website for individual ratings (RoundRockISD.org).
In 2009, several Round Rock schools appeared on Newsweek magazine’s list of top-ranked schools. The list included 1,500 top-ranked schools within the United States, and all four of Round Rock’s high schools made the cut. This puts them in the top 6% nationwide. Most notably, Westwood ranked at 89 out of all high schools in the United States. Here’s an explanation of how these rankings are established.
The yearly dropout rate within Round Rock ISD is only 0.1% — much lower than the national average. The vast majority of graduating seniors (more than 85%) take the SAT and ACT college entrance exams each year, and they score well above state and national averages.
Property Taxes in Round Rock
Round Rock School District is a quality system, to be sure. But you’ll pay a price for it. Property taxes in this city are higher than any other city I’ve lived in — by a good amount. Our home is currently valued at around $240,000, and we pay about $5,300 in property taxes each year. I tell this to my relatives who live elsewhere in the country (even in California), and they cringe.You can expect to pay 2% – 3% of your home’s appraised value, anywhere within the greater Austin area — and that includes Round Rock.
