Austin Texas Real Estate Blog

Round Rock is a city about 15 miles north of Austin. The city is located in the Texas hill country, a beautiful place to live while commuting to the larger city. Round Rock has its own employers, though, with Dell and Farmers Insurance calling it home. The city has been recognized as one of the safest cities in the U.S. and for its park systems. The cost of living here remains one of the lowest in Texas, including utilities and taxes. The school district is another point of recognition, and Round Rock is consistently doing its best to improve.

The most recent ratings for the Round Rock Independent School District (RRISD) show that the district as a whole received an acceptable rating from the Texas Education Agency. Twelve elementary schools received an exemplary rating, and not one in the district was deemed unacceptable. The reason for such success is not only following state criteria and educational guidelines, but by collecting data from every step in the education process. RRISD has an Assessment and Audit Department which collects data on every aspect, including safety, employment satisfaction and turnover rates, and operational efficiency. The reason for this department is to analyze and objectively focus on areas in need of improvement.

Round Rock schools have been recognized for multiple state awards. Several have been named National Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence. As the city continues to grow, the district will continue to strive for excellence. Round Rock has made education one of the most important focuses of the city, and it is certainly worth it.

Round Rock, a suburb of Austin has been recently recognized by the University of Texas Center for Performance Excellence (UTCPE) for achievements in one of their schools and several departments. These awards are based on the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Awards program. The Baldrige criteria are used as a basis to determine continuing improvement. The program has been in effect since 1987, and thousands of organizations strive to receive this recognition.

The UTCPE formed in 2002 and since then has streamlined the Baldrige criteria into separate levels of achievement. Level 1 is first step, which the Canyon Vista Middle School has earned. The school is recognized as “beginning to adopt performance excellence principles.” Round Rock’s Independent School District Department of Continuing Education and the Department of Library Services also received Level 1 honors. The city’s Purchasing Department received Level 2 honors for “demonstrating the serious use and routine use and practice of performance excellence principals.” The highest achievement is Level 3, which means the organization has reached the full Baldrige criteria. The purpose of these criteria is to encourage improvement in educational standards.

The Texas Education Agency is responsible for rating school performance within the state. Several of Round Rock’s schools have received exemplary accountability standards. The district overall has received an acceptable rating for the most recent school year. The recognition by the UTCPE will help to encourage the district’s other schools to meet the same criteria. With the standards laid out, it is much easier for schools to create the means by which to reach improvement goals.

There are over 100 schools in the Austin area. Most of the schools are earning an acceptable rating from the state for meeting educational standards. These ratings are made based on test scores for specific subjects. For an elementary school, the focus is on third through fifth graders and their performance on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills. Only about 12% of schools statewide have earned an A+, or “exemplary” status. One such school, located in East Austin, is Campbell Elementary School.

It has taken the dedication and determination of students and teachers alike to earn this rating. Campbell is the first elementary school to earn it since 2003. The students here are primarily from low income families, and the goal of the staff is to create an environment that shows these children that learning can be as fun as it is challenging. Spearheading this reform was principal Floretta Andrews. Now transferred to another faltering school, her leadership brought an astounding 90% passing grade for the tested students.

Previous years ratings put the school at an “acceptable” level, or a C on the grading scale. Under Andrew’s watchful eye, the staff and parents at Campbell formulated a schedule that had a primary focus on using teaching time more effectively. The atmosphere of the school became more like a family than an institution, and the children responded by stepping up to the plate. In addition to this reorganization, the school offers a social worker to help the lower income families find assistance when needed for everything from clothes to food. This also helps to create a more welcoming environment for the families of the students. With all of these changes now fully in gear, Campbell is set to keep its “exemplary” status for many years.

The state educational system uses this information as a guide to help draw more companies to the Austin area. Since the job market in Austin is still healthy, this study can only further the city on its goal to bring more jobs to the area. “Our companies compete globally with Taiwan, Russia, and Europe. This is the most helpful information that’s ever been made available about the kind of talent you get in Austin” said Drew Scherberle, Austin Chamber of commerce vice president.

A recent study by a D.C. think tank has ranked Austin math scores higher than some European countries. The study, Trends in International Math and Science, has placed Austin right along countries such as the Netherlands and Russia. Though below Asian scores, it has also placed above countries like Italy and New Zealand. The study focused on fourth graders and eighth graders in many countries. The only other city that matched Austin was Charlotte, N.C.

Some people feel the study in unfair to compare certain U.S. cities like New York and Chicago to places like Austin and Charlotte due to the difference in ethnic diversity and income. New York was ranked on par or above the international sites, while Chicago scored below. The math program in Austin has been a focus for several years and this study seems to prove that focus has been successful. This study comes at a time when Austin has begun to focus even more on the overall education of the future workforce.

With apologies to Frank Zappa, it’s Austin and not Centerville that’s a great place to raise a family. House prices remain low, but jobs continue to grow, creating a quality spot to relocate and settle for the duration.

Austin is home to eight independent school districts, which include the Austin Independent School District in Travis County and the Round Rock Independent School District in Williamson County. There is no lack of educational opportunities in the area as Austin is home to a branch of the University of Texas which offers studies in Business, Communication, Education, Engineering, Fine Arts, Nursing, Natural Sciences, Architecture and Social Work among many others.

The climate in Central Texas is conducive to many outdoor activities and Austin offers much in the way of events and activities for the whole family. There are plenty of art galleries, some that offer child-friendly activities and many with low or free fees. There is a long list of out- and indoor markets – flea markets, farmers markets, garage sales, and such on the weekends.

The Austin Zoo posts a very low entry fee. With 60 different species and over 200 animals, the zoo is a great place to spend the afternoon. The Topsey Exotic Ranch offers a drive-through safari for wildlife viewing from the comfort of your car for a low entry fee. And, if you love wild flowers, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Research Center is open Tuesdays through Sundays. The Research Center reflects the late first lady’s love of wildflowers and her campaign to create beauty along the highways of the nation.

Austin’s low crime rate, clean environment, and low cost of living is a definite draw when families start looking around for a prime relocation area.