Of the 432 students at Claude Berkman Elementary School in Round Rock, 375 (87%) 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, Claude Berkman Elementary School’s student population was made up of 432 students, of which 311 were Hispanic, 45 African American, 42 white, and 29 multiracial students.
Data shows that 20.7% of Claude Berkman Elementary School’s multiracial students (6), 16.7% of its white students (7), 11.1% of its African American students (5) and 10.9% of its Hispanic students (34) 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 384 Claude Berkman Elementary School students – equivalent to 93% of the student population – were not on the academic path to college eligibility. This contrasts with 2023-24, when the percentage stood at 87%, marking a 6% decrease 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Anderson Mill Elementary School | 500 | 14% |
| Blackland Prairie Elementary School | 740 | 37% |
| Bluebonnet Elementary School | 369 | 7% |
| Brushy Creek Elementary School | 502 | 28% |
| C. D. Fulkes Middle School | 593 | 9% |
| Cactus Ranch Elementary School | 671 | 71% |
| Caldwell Heights Elementary School | 615 | 14% |
| Canyon Creek Elementary School | 349 | 71% |
| Canyon Vista Middle School | 1,337 | 66% |
| Cedar Ridge High School | 2,696 | 24% |
| Cedar Valley Middle School | 1,335 | 60% |
| Chandler Oaks Elementary School | 560 | 44% |
| Chisholm Trail Middle School | 703 | 33% |
| Claude Berkman Elementary School | 432 | 13% |
| Deep Wood Elementary School | 337 | 39% |
| Deerpark Middle School | 820 | 21% |
| Double File Trail Elementary School | 612 | 19% |
| Elsa England Elementary School | 1,005 | 59% |
| Fern Bluff Elementary School | 595 | 41% |
| Forest Creek Elementary School | 669 | 26% |
| Forest North Elementary School | 250 | 17% |
| Gattis Elementary School | 594 | 20% |
| Great Oaks Elementary School | 789 | 49% |
| Hopewell Middle School | 1,147 | 27% |
| James Garland Walsh Middle School | 1,177 | 55% |
| Joe Lee Johnson Elementary School | 675 | 20% |
| Jollyville Elementary School | 607 | 29% |
| Kathy Caraway Elementary School | 451 | 43% |
| Laurel Mountain Elementary School | 811 | 62% |
| Linda Herrington Elementary School | 811 | 48% |
| Live Oak Elementary School | 404 | 17% |
| McNeil High School | 2,522 | 33% |
| Neysa Callison Elementary School | 629 | 11% |
| Noel Grisham Middle School | 608 | 40% |
| Old Town Elementary School | 646 | 23% |
| PFC Robert P. Hernandez Middle School | 583 | 15% |
| Patsy Sommer Elementary School | 874 | 67% |
| Pearson Ranch Middle School | 917 | 59% |
| Pond Springs Elementary School | 536 | 30% |
| Purple Sage Elementary School | 467 | 32% |
| Redbud Elementary School | 527 | 27% |
| Ridgeview Middle School | 1,194 | 38% |
| Round Rock High School | 3,721 | 44% |
| Rrisd Early College High School | 387 | 34% |
| Spicewood Elementary School | 681 | 50% |
| Stony Point High School | 2,533 | 18% |
| Success High School | 271 | 8% |
| Teravista Elementary School | 825 | 33% |
| Union Hill Elementary School | 618 | 8% |
| Vic Robertson Elementary School | 347 | 7% |
| Wells Branch Elementary School | 632 | 11% |
| Westwood High School | 2,791 | 52% |
| Xenia Voigt Elementary School | 429 | 13% |
Source: Texas Education Agency.
