Of the 540 students at Caldwell Elementary School in Round Rock, 442 (82%) weren’t on track for college in the 2023-24 school year, according to North Austin News’ analysis of STAAR scores from the Texas Education Agency (TEA).
The TEA considers students to be on track for college if they demonstrate mastery of the course content through the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR). Students who meet, but do not master their grade level are “prepared to progress to the next grade,” but not yet on college track.
In the 2023-24 school year, Caldwell Elementary School’s student population was made up of 540 students, of which 336 were Hispanic, 95 white, 56 African American, 33 multiracial, and 18 Asian students.
Data shows that 50% of Caldwell Elementary School’s Asian students (9), 31.6% of its white students (30), 21.2% of its multiracial students (7), 14% of its Hispanic students (47) and 10.7% of its African American students (6) had “mastered” their grade level that year and were “on track for college and career readiness,” as measured by state academic standards.
In the 2022-23 school year, the TEA noted that 424 Caldwell Elementary School students – equivalent to 80% of the student population – were not on the academic path to college eligibility. This contrasts with 2023-24, when the percentage stood at 82%, marking a 2% increase from the previous year.
A recent study by WalletHub classified Texas as one of the least-educated states in the U.S., ranking it 41st out of 50 in educational quality and student outcomes.
Underfunding is a frequently cited challenge facing the state’s school district. According to a 2024 report from the Texas Education Agency, per-pupil funding has not increased since 2019, despite inflation rates rising by more than 20% since then.
“As a result, many districts in our very own Central Texas region are being forced to cut back on essential programs, services, consider school closures, and adopt deficit budgets just to provide students with the education that they deserve,” Hutto ISD Trustee James Matlock stated in an interview.
| School | Total Students | % On College Track |
|---|---|---|
| Bohls Middle School | 874 | 18% |
| Brookhollow Elementary School | 403 | 22% |
| Caldwell Elementary School | 540 | 18% |
| Carpenter Elementary School | 576 | 28% |
| Cele Middle School | 753 | 29% |
| Copperfield Elementary School | 471 | 16% |
| Dearing Elementary School | 530 | 22% |
| Dessau Elementary School | 555 | 2% |
| Dessau Middle School | 655 | 8% |
| Hendrickson High School | 2,106 | 31% |
| Highland Park Elementary School | 666 | 31% |
| John B. Connally High School | 1,817 | 8% |
| Kelly Lane Middle School | 950 | 35% |
| Mott Elementary School | 632 | 33% |
| Murchison Elementary School | 696 | 39% |
| Northwest Elementary School | 392 | 7% |
| Park Crest Middle School | 715 | 20% |
| Parmer Lane Elementary School | 447 | 18% |
| Pflugerville Elementary School | 403 | 13% |
| Pflugerville High School | 1,850 | 17% |
| Pflugerville Middle School | 823 | 19% |
| Riojas Elementary School | 729 | 37% |
| River Oaks Elementary School | 443 | 14% |
| Rowe Lane Elementary School | 827 | 26% |
| Ruth Barron Elementary School | 530 | 11% |
| Springhill Elementary School | 507 | 12% |
| Timmerman Elementary School | 444 | 12% |
| Weiss High School | 1,988 | 19% |
| Westview Middle School | 687 | 9% |
| Wieland Elementary School | 393 | 19% |
| Wilhelmina Delco Elementary School | 509 | 6% |
| Windermere Elementary School | 697 | 26% |
Source: Texas Education Agency.
