Baldwin Scored a 91. Bear Creek Scored a 93. Two A Rated Austin ISD Elementaries in the Southwest Hill Country.
Bear Creek Elementary scored a 93 out of 100 on the 2025 TEA accountability rating. Baldwin Elementary scored a 91. Both are A rated campuses in Austin ISD, both serve the far southwest Austin corridor where the city meets the Hill Country, and the gap between them is just 2 points. When both schools are this strong, the comparison shifts from academics to neighborhoods, price points, and lifestyle.
The price difference is more interesting than the TEA difference. Baldwin has a median around $1,097,500. Bear Creek sits at $899,000. That is almost a $200K gap for schools that are 2 points apart on TEA. The Baldwin zone commands a premium that is about neighborhood character and specific addresses, not school performance.
Baldwin vs Bear Creek: Quick Comparison
| Baldwin Elementary | Bear Creek Elementary | |
|---|---|---|
| TEA Rating | A (91/100) | A (93/100) |
| Enrollment | 582 students | 508 students |
| District | Austin ISD | Austin ISD |
| Median Home Price | $1,097,500 | $899,000 |
TEA School Performance Comparison (2025)
The Texas Education Agency evaluates every public school annually across multiple performance domains. Here is how both campuses performed in the 2025 accountability cycle.
| Performance Metric | Baldwin Elementary | Bear Creek Elementary |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating | A (91/100) | A (93/100) |
| Student Achievement | A (93/100) | A (93/100) |
| School Progress | B (86/100) | A (91/100) |
| Academic Growth | B (86/100) | A (91/100) |
| Closing the Gaps | B (85/100) | A (92/100) |
| Enrollment | 582 students (EE – 05) | 508 students (EE – 05) |
| Economically Disadvantaged | 13.7% | 5.5% |
| English Learners | 12.0% | 15.9% |
| TEA Distinctions | 2 of 6 earned | 0 of 6 earned |
Student Achievement is identical at 93 for both. Bear Creek edges out Baldwin across the board on the rest. It beats Baldwin in School Progress and Academic Growth (both 91 vs 86), and it also takes Closing the Gaps with a 92 (A) to Baldwin’s 85 (B). The one place Baldwin comes out ahead is TEA distinctions, where it earned 2 to Bear Creek’s 0. So the scores lean Bear Creek, but Baldwin still pulled down a pair of distinctions that Bear Creek did not.
For the full breakdown, visit the Baldwin Elementary page or the Bear Creek Elementary page.
Bear Creek Elementary: Higher Overall, Strong Across the Board
Bear Creek serves 508 students in the far southwest Austin corridor. The A at 93, with A scores in School Progress and Academic Growth (both 91) and an A in Closing the Gaps (92), shows a campus that is pushing students forward and reaching its student groups at the same time. The $899,000 median reflects the premium Hill Country location. The school draws from some of Austin’s most scenic neighborhoods along the Slaughter Lane and MoPac corridors.
Baldwin Elementary: A Rated With Two Distinctions
Baldwin at 582 students is slightly larger and earned 2 TEA distinctions, two more than Bear Creek. Its domain scores sit a notch below Bear Creek’s (School Progress and Academic Growth at 86, Closing the Gaps at 85), but it is still a solid A campus. The $1,097,500 median is about $200K higher, reflecting the premium neighborhoods in the Baldwin zone. If those distinctions and the specific Baldwin addresses matter to you, this is your zone.
The Neighborhoods
Both zones are in far southwest Austin where the city transitions into the Hill Country. Baldwin draws from some of the more upscale addresses in this corridor. Bear Creek draws from well established communities at a slightly lower price point. Both zones have access to MoPac, Slaughter Lane, and the outdoor recreation that makes this part of Austin special.
Browse all homes zoned to Baldwin or homes zoned to Bear Creek.
Which School Fits You?
You might lean toward Bear Creek if:
- You want the higher overall TEA score (93 vs 91)
- A lower entry point ($899K vs $1.1M) matters at this price level
- Stronger School Progress, Academic Growth, and Closing the Gaps scores appeal to you
You might lean toward Baldwin if:
- TEA distinctions matter to you (2 vs 0)
- The specific Baldwin zone neighborhoods fit your lifestyle
- You want the more established, higher priced corridor addresses
You cannot go wrong with either one. Both are A rated, both are in beautiful parts of southwest Austin, and both feed into strong Austin ISD secondary campuses. The 2 point overall gap is noise. Pick the neighborhood you love.
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