Avery Ranch or Ranch at Brushy Creek....schools (Austin, Round Rock: for sale, apartment complexes) - Texas (TX) - City-Data Forum

2kids2cats · 01-31-2010, 07:32 AM

We are in the final stages of our Austin house search and have narrowed it down to the following neighborhoods:

- Avery Ranch (Sommer OR Rutledge Elementary Schools)
- Ranch at Brushy Creek (Sommer or Reagan Elementary Schools)

Since these schools are relatively new, there isn't a ton of info on them on Greatschools.net.

I have heard great things about Sommer but I have heard/read mixed things about Rutledge due to a higher population of economically disadvantaged students zoned to the school (many with limited english proficiency). Does anyone know if this is still the case or has it changed with recent re-zoning?

I really love Avery Ranch but Rutledge is a concern to me (and limiting ourselves to the RR part of Avery is pretty limiting). Also Rutledge feeds to Henry MS, which is only rated Academically Acceptable but I have heard/read good things. Sommer's Middle School, Cedar Valley and Walsh, are Recognized.

I haven't heard anything really about Reagan, other than perhaps the lower income section was split b/w Rutledge and Reagan when they opened Reagan. Does anyone know anything about this school?

Is RR ISD side of Ranch at BC only temporarily zoned to Sommer....what is the expected change for this neighborhood? I know they plan to build some additional new schools by Avery, but I don't know where that leaves the Ranch at BC kids. The Avery Ranch kids are currently zoned to McNeil HS but Ranch at BC is zoned to Round Rock HS, which is not as highly rated.

Any insights are appreciated! Thanks!

woodinvilleguy · 01-31-2010, 10:47 AM

I can comment about Ruttledge and Reagan as my kids have attended both. Both schools are very good and feed into the same middle and high schools. Reagan is brand new and probably a touch better than Ruttledge currently because a lot of people applied to be transferred to it and there for there is a lot of parent involvement. Ruttledge draws from a solid base that is very similiar to Reagan. I think there is slightly more appartments that feed it but not a huge amount more. We prefered LISD to RRISD so we built in LISD. Others prefer it the other way, from my understanding RRISD is pretty much equivalent to LISD, slightly older schools since it hasn't had the population explosion that LISD had. Henry is a really good school, The difference comes down to a handful of kids one way or another to push the rating up or down. Last year it was recognized. The individual programs like band are great. In fact, they may have the best middle school band program currently in LISD. If your kids work hard and you are involved, your kids will do well in any of the local schools.

I wouldn't count on school boundaries changing or new schools because you never know where and when that will happen.

If you want to know more specifics about Reagan or Henry feel free to ask.

2kids2cats · 01-31-2010, 07:52 PM

Woodinvilleguy - thanks so much for the good info! I noticed on an old post that someone was asking if Avery's homes in RR ISD were more desirable for resale value than the Avery homes zoned for LISD (assuming same type home). Do you think there is any truth to that? Or have you noticed if the homes zoned for LISD in Avery sat on the market longer?

woodinvilleguy · 01-31-2010, 08:53 PM

The realtor's here are better to answer the question, but I know that when we looked we prefered LISD when we looked for houses.

10scoachrick · 01-31-2010, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2kids2cats

Woodinvilleguy - thanks so much for the good info! I noticed on an old post that someone was asking if Avery's homes in RR ISD were more desirable for resale value than the Avery homes zoned for LISD (assuming same type home). Do you think there is any truth to that? Or have you noticed if the homes zoned for LISD in Avery sat on the market longer?

2k2c, we're on one of the streets in Brookside that divides RRISD and LISD and used the LISD 'assignment' as a bargaining chip to justify our lowball offer on the house almost two years ago(The house was 'for sale by divorce', so who knows what the deciding factors were). As w-villeguy mentioned, plenty is changing up here with new public and private schools being built/planned and I'm sure things have changed since we moved in. Perception is probably more important than rankings given the overall high quality of the schools in the area. Who knows what will happen to resale in 2, 5, 10 years?

Interestingly, I would say at least half of the kids I know in our neighborhood(say, a dozen households) are homeschooled or in private church-based schools. Could be Texas or could be a sign of the times.

2kids2cats · 02-02-2010, 06:35 PM

Thanks for the good info! Interesting that even with the great public schools that so many people aren't using them...

eepstein · 02-03-2010, 07:24 AM

Avery Ranch schools are some of the best in the area. You cannot go wrong having your kiddos attend these schools. Sommer Elem is great, as is Rutledge. All of my neighbors have kids who absolutely love these schools!

I have not heard about poor people being transported to Rutledge Elementary school. That doesn't make sense. Avery Ranch does an excellent job of keeping poor people away. What gives?

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2kids2cats

We are in the final stages of our Austin house search and have narrowed it down to the following neighborhoods:

- Avery Ranch (Sommer OR Rutledge Elementary Schools)
- Ranch at Brushy Creek (Sommer or Reagan Elementary Schools)

Since these schools are relatively new, there isn't a ton of info on them on Greatschools.net.

I have heard great things about Sommer but I have heard/read mixed things about Rutledge due to a higher population of economically disadvantaged students zoned to the school (many with limited english proficiency). Does anyone know if this is still the case or has it changed with recent re-zoning?

I really love Avery Ranch but Rutledge is a concern to me (and limiting ourselves to the RR part of Avery is pretty limiting). Also Rutledge feeds to Henry MS, which is only rated Academically Acceptable but I have heard/read good things. Sommer's Middle School, Cedar Valley and Walsh, are Recognized.

I haven't heard anything really about Reagan, other than perhaps the lower income section was split b/w Rutledge and Reagan when they opened Reagan. Does anyone know anything about this school?

Is RR ISD side of Ranch at BC only temporarily zoned to Sommer....what is the expected change for this neighborhood? I know they plan to build some additional new schools by Avery, but I don't know where that leaves the Ranch at BC kids. The Avery Ranch kids are currently zoned to McNeil HS but Ranch at BC is zoned to Round Rock HS, which is not as highly rated.

Any insights are appreciated! Thanks!

woodinvilleguy · 02-03-2010, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eepstein

Avery Ranch schools are some of the best in the area. You cannot go wrong having your kiddos attend these schools. Sommer Elem is great, as is Rutledge. All of my neighbors have kids who absolutely love these schools!

I have not heard about poor people being transported to Rutledge Elementary school. That doesn't make sense. Avery Ranch does an excellent job of keeping poor people away. What gives?

not that I care if poor people attend the school or not, but Rutledge draws from the apartment complexes on parmer south of the RRISD stadium for instance. And depending on your POV about poor, there are a number of lower end houses in Avery. It is all perspective. I know plenty of rich people that don't make education and parenting a priority in their households and plenty of poor people that do. money isn't the issue for public education.

angelshopping · 05-03-2011, 03:36 PM

Not that it matters since by now you have no doubt purchased your home but as an FYI, 3/4 of the Ranch at Brushy Creek neighborhood are zoned for RRISD. That is including homes that have not been built yet. So when the community is finished, the majority of your children's friends will be going to a RRISD school. It would take an act of God for any of those homes to be rezoned for LISD.

Christine Blair · 11-20-2011, 10:11 PM

Hi 2K2C,
I chuckled when I read your thread as I could have written it myself; we are relocating and have narrowed our search down to R@BC and Avery Ranch.My parents bought a home in the Plantations in Round Rock and my sister and her family bought a home in Forest Creek in RR.I would prefer to be close to them but have reservations about RR High and am leaning toward LISD only because of the high school.I spoke to the district and another high school is supposed to be built but I am not wanting to buy a house in RR until I know for sure.May I ask your advice as I welcome as much direction as possible?Our son is in third grade presently and in a private Christian school in S. Calif.Thanks so much!