NORMAN-SIMS EL

NORMAN-SIMS EL is an intimate elementary campus in AUSTIN, Texas, operated by AUSTIN ISD. The school enrolls 274 students in grades pre-K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 519 students per school, that is 47% smaller than typical.

Across the 123 schools in AUSTIN ISD (72,272 students total), NORMAN-SIMS EL accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Demographically, NORMAN-SIMS EL logs that the largest single group is Hispanic at 53%, but no single group is in the majority. Beyond that, the school shows 40% Black, 4% multiracial, 2% White. That is noticeably more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 33%.

On the income-and-resources front, On paper, NORMAN-SIMS EL has 26 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 10.5:1. The state averages around 15.1:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Roughly 95% of students at NORMAN-SIMS EL qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. By comparison, Travis County runs at roughly 54%, so the school's eligibility rate is somewhat above the surrounding baseline.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), NORMAN-SIMS EL performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 32.3%, the actual is 19.5%, a residual of -12.8 points.

In the broader community, Travis County reports that median household income runs about $99,611, 57% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 7%. Across Travis County's 333 public schools (combined enrollment of about 191,706 students), NORMAN-SIMS EL is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is IDEA HEALTH PROFESSIONS ACADEMY, roughly 0.3 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. On composite proficiency, NORMAN-SIMS EL comes 6th of 9 in the immediate cluster, below the nearby-schools average of 34.8%.

The campus sits in an inner-city setting.

Looking at the recent track record. NORMAN-SIMS EL's enrollment has increased 43% since 2018, when it stood at 192 (now 274). Black enrollment moved from 49% to 40% across the same window. Class-load math has pulled in: from 16.0:1 in 2018 to 10.5:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, members of the NORMAN-SIMS EL community share and discuss sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.