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Honest take: what's the hardest part about being a student at WALNUT CREEK EL?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
496
Elementary
DISTRICT 467 · STATE 519
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·AUSTIN ISD·NCES 480894000362
Walnut Creek Elementary School
401 W BRAKER LN, AUSTIN, TX 78753 · (512) 414-4499 · Travis County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY11-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL496 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
12.9:1
38 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 12.7:1 · STATE 15.1:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
92%
457 students
DISTRICT 61% · STATE 65%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 87 | 18% |
| Kindergarten | 64 | 13% |
| Grade 1 | 60 | 12% |
| Grade 2 | 76 | 15% |
| Grade 3 | 76 | 15% |
| Grade 4 | 66 | 13% |
| Grade 5 | 67 | 14% |
This year's kindergarten class (64) is about the same size as its 5th grade class (67).
Student demographics
33%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 60% · STATE 63% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
STAAR 2025-26 . % Meets Grade Level or AboveReading
34.0%
TX avg 54.5% . +21.0pp since 2020
Mathematics
25.0%
TX avg 45.3% . +9.0pp since 2020
What this means: On the STAAR, Texas's statewide test, about 34 of every 100 students at this school read at grade level and about 25 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Texas schools, those numbers are about 55 and 45. Reading scores are up about 21 points since 2020, while math scores are up about 9 points.
Performance levels, 2025-26
| Subject | Masters Grade Level | Meets Grade Level | Approaches Grade Level | Did Not Meet Grade Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 13.0% | 21.0% | 27.0% | 39.0% |
| Mathematics | 12.0% | 13.0% | 22.0% | 53.0% |
Share of tested students at each STAAR level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.
STAAR results by year
| School year | Reading | Mathematics |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 34.0% | 25.0% |
| 2024-25 | 27.0% | 19.0% |
| 2023-24 | 22.0% | 19.0% |
| 2022-23 | 27.0% | 21.0% |
| 2021-22 | 31.0% | 25.0% |
| 2020-21 | 13.0% | 16.0% |
% Meets Grade Level or Above, all students and all tested grades.
Source: STAAR. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
UNDERPERFORMING
Bottom 10% of TX schools after controlling for student poverty
Actual proficiency
18.4%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
34.3%
based on TX schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-15.9pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 18% of students here test proficient in math and reading, below the roughly 34% typical for Texas schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations compares each school with others at the same poverty level, not by raw scores, so a school lands here when its results trail those comparable schools, which is not the same as having low scores. A higher-scoring school can still fall in this tier if similar schools score higher still.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Walnut Creek Elementary School
Walnut Creek Elementary School's state test result (18.4% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walnut Creek Elementary School this school | 496 | 92.1% | 18.4% |
| Rogers Elementary School AMARILLO | 490 | 93.7% | 31.9% |
| Forest Hill Elementary School AMARILLO | 484 | 94.6% | 44.3% |
| Cesar Chavez Primary School FT WORTH | 447 | 94.2% | 32.9% |
| Bradfield Elementary School GARLAND | 525 | 93.0% | 54.0% |
| Brown Elementary School AUSTIN | 497 | 96.8% | 14.0% |
Matched among Texas elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Walnut Creek Elementary School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Texas | In Travis County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 18.4% | #4,309 of 4,401 | #151 of 166 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 25.0% | #4,197 of 4,466 ▲ 120 | #149 of 176 ▲ 11 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 34.0% | #4,091 of 4,466 ▲ 183 | #141 of 176 ▲ 10 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +5.5pp | #2,043 of 3,998 | #83 of 166 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 496 | #2,589 of 4,938 | #98 of 183 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 12.9:1 | #762 of 4,622 | #63 of 174 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 32.9% | #3,327 of 4,628 | #127 of 174 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 92.1% | #824 of 4,789 | #28 of 170 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -22.7% | #964 of 2,838 | #48 of 120 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
496
-135 (-21%) vs 2020
-9% since 1990-91, when it was 547
Student : Teacher
12.9:1
was 13.4:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 496 | 38.4 | 12.9:1 | 92% (457) |
| 2023-24 | 537 | 38.7 | 13.9:1 | 88% (473) |
| 2022-23 | 545 | 28 | 19.5:1 | 93% (506) |
| 2020-21 | 631 | 47 | 13.4:1 | 92% (581) |
| 2017-18 | 642 | 43.7 | 14.7:1 | 94% (606) |
| 2015-16 | 634 | 42 | 15.1:1 | 89% (562) |
| 2010-11 | 929 | 56 | 16.6:1 | 96% (888) |
| 2000-01 | 997 | 64 | 15.6:1 | 75% (751) |
| 1990-91 | 547 | 31 | 17.6:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Walnut Creek Elementary School.
Since 2017-18: students down 23% (642 to 496); teachers down 12% (43.7 to 38.4).
About Walnut Creek Elementary School
Walnut Creek Elementary School is a medium-sized elementary school with its address in AUSTIN, Texas. Enrollment in 2024-25 was 496 students in pre-K through 5.
AUSTIN ISD (123 schools, 72,272 students) runs Walnut Creek Elementary School.
The large majority of students at Walnut Creek Elementary School, 81%, are Hispanic. Beyond that, enrollment is 7% White, 5% Black, and 5% Asian. The Hispanic share of the county population is lower, at 33%. By the diversity index, Walnut Creek Elementary School comes in at 33%.
The teaching staff at Walnut Creek Elementary School is 38.4 full-time-equivalent teachers, and the ratio is 12.9:1. The average ratio among elementary schools in Texas is 15.1:1, higher than at this school. About 92% of students, or 457, qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. That is 38 points above the 54% average for public schools in Travis County.
Test results at Walnut Creek Elementary School are 15.9 points below what its student poverty level predicts. The average proficiency rate on state tests is 18.4%, compared with a predicted 34.3%, which ranks in the bottom 10% in Texas.
Census Bureau estimates for Travis County show that median household income is about $99,611, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 57%, and about 7% of people live in poverty. A total of 333 public schools operate in Travis County, serving about 191,706 students.
The closest other public school is McBee Elementary School, about 0.5 miles away. Around the school, at least 8 other public schools are within five miles. Its average proficiency rate of 18.4% is below the 34.9% average for nearby schools.
The National Center for Education Statistics classifies the school's location as City: Large, meaning it is inside a principal city with a population of 250,000 or more.
From 2020-21 to 2024-25, Walnut Creek Elementary School went from 631 students to 496.
Conversations here can range across science fairs, picture day, and bus routes. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.
Travis County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
1,330,015
Census ACS
Median income
$99,611
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
57%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
333
191,706 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in AUSTIN ISD
- Bowie High SchoolHigh · 2,876 students
- Akins Early College High SchoolHigh · 2,421 students
- Austin High SchoolHigh · 2,323 students
- Anderson High SchoolHigh · 2,223 students
- McCallum High SchoolHigh · 1,897 students
- Navarro Early College High SchoolHigh · 1,633 students
Other schools in AUSTIN
- Lake Travis High SchoolHigh · 3,569 students
- Bowie High SchoolHigh · 2,876 students
- Westwood High SchoolHigh · 2,858 students
- Westlake High SchoolHigh · 2,854 students
- McNeil High SchoolHigh · 2,660 students
- Vandegrift High SchoolHigh · 2,437 students
Other Walnut Creek Elementary schools
6 other US public schools in 5 states are named Walnut Creek Elementary. Walnut Creek Elementary School is the 4th largest of the 7.
- Walnut Creek Elementary SchoolAZLE, TX · 389 students
- Walnut Creek ElementaryMcDonough, GA · 712 students
- Walnut Creek ElementaryRaleigh, NC · 574 students
- Walnut Creek ElementaryGalena, OH · 546 students
- WALNUT CREEK ELEMENTARYPAPILLION, NE · 451 students
Nearby schools
- McBee Elementary School0.5 mi · 347
- Graham Elementary School1.0 mi · 412
- Basis Austin Primary School1.2 mi · 243
- Basis Austin1.2 mi · 155
- Guerrero Thompson1.2 mi · 548
- Cook Elementary School1.3 mi · 433
Frequently asked questions
About Walnut Creek Elementary SchoolWhat is the total enrollment at Walnut Creek Elementary School?
Walnut Creek Elementary School enrolls approximately 496 students in grades PK-05.
Is Walnut Creek Elementary School an elementary, middle, or high school?
Walnut Creek Elementary School is an elementary school covering grades PK-05.
How many teachers does Walnut Creek Elementary School have?
Walnut Creek Elementary School employs 38 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 12.9:1.
What is the racial breakdown of students at Walnut Creek Elementary School?
At Walnut Creek Elementary School, the student body is approximately 7% White, 81% Hispanic, 5% Black, 5% Asian, 1% Two or more.
Is Walnut Creek Elementary School public or private?
Walnut Creek Elementary School is a public K-12 school, overseen by AUSTIN ISD.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.