Brown vs Wooldridge Elementary: F to A in North Central Austin

A 32 Point TEA Gap at the Same Price Point in North Central Austin

Wooldridge Elementary earned a 91 out of 100 from the Texas Education Agency in 2025, good for a straight A rating. Brown Elementary, less than a mile and a half away in the same district, scored 59 out of 100 for an F. That 32 point gap is one of the largest between any two Austin ISD elementaries at a comparable price point, and it happens to exist in a part of north central Austin where both zones overlap with neighborhoods near the same grocery stores, parks, and coffee shops.

The median home price near Brown is $265,000. Near Wooldridge it is $266,500. Fifteen hundred dollars separates them. That is the kind of detail that makes me tell buyers: check the school zone map before you fall in love with a house, because the campus on the other side of one street can look very, very different from the campus two blocks away.

I have sold homes in both of these zones over the years, and this comparison is a perfect example of why blanket statements about “good school districts” or “bad neighborhoods” miss the point entirely. These are two campuses in the same district, at the same price, serving communities that are closer together than some people’s daily commute.

Brown vs Wooldridge Elementary: Quick Comparison

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.

The contrast is stark. Wooldridge earned A ratings in Student Achievement, School Progress, and Academic Growth, all three at 92 out of 100. That is an exceptionally consistent performance across the board. Brown scored F in those same three domains (43, 57, 57). The closest the two campuses get is Closing the Gaps, where Brown’s 67 (a D) is still 21 points below Wooldridge’s 88 (a B).

The demographic context is unavoidable here. Brown serves a student body that is 97% economically disadvantaged and 77.4% English learners. Wooldridge’s numbers are 15.7% and 9.6%. The socioeconomic gap between these two student populations is immense, and it maps directly onto the performance gap. This is not a case where one campus has better teachers or a worse principal. It is a case where the challenges facing each student body are fundamentally different in scale.

For the full TEA breakdown on each campus, visit the Brown Elementary school page or the Wooldridge Elementary school page.

Wooldridge: The A Rated Campus with an Elite Feeder Pattern

Wooldridge is one of the strongest elementary campuses in Austin ISD, and the feeder pattern that follows makes it even more compelling. After Wooldridge, students move to Burnet Middle School, then have pathways to three exceptional high schools: the Liberal Arts and Science Academy (LASA), which is consistently ranked among the top public high schools in the entire country; McCallum High School, known across Texas for its celebrated Fine Arts Academy; and Navarro Early College High School, where students can earn an associate degree tuition free.

Three high school pathways with three distinct academic identities, all accessible from the same elementary zone. That is genuinely unusual, and it is one of the reasons the Wooldridge zone attracts buyers who are thinking 10 to 15 years ahead.

The campus sits in the Quail Creek and Wooten corridor of north central Austin, an area with a mix of mid century ranch homes, updated properties, and newer construction. At 810 students, Wooldridge is a well sized campus that offers breadth of programming without being so large that students get lost. The 6 of 7 TEA distinctions earned confirm the academic rigor across specific subject areas.

Brown Elementary: A Campus Working Against Long Odds

I am not going to pretend that Brown’s TEA scores are what any buyer hopes to see. An F with 59 out of 100 is below the passing threshold. But I also think it is important for buyers to understand what a school like Brown is actually dealing with. When 97% of your students qualify as economically disadvantaged and more than three quarters are English learners, the campus is essentially operating as both a school and a social services hub. Austin ISD directs significant resources to campuses like Brown, including bilingual support staff, instructional specialists, and wrap around services for students.

Brown’s Closing the Gaps score of 67 (a D) is actually the campus’s relative strength, suggesting that the school is making real efforts to serve its most underserved subgroups. The Brown zone feeds into several Austin ISD middle schools including Lamar (one of the district’s A rated campuses), Burnet, and Webb, depending on your address. At the high school level, pathways include Austin High, LBJ, and Navarro Early College.

The Neighborhoods

At $265,000 and $266,500 median prices, both zones offer homeownership in north central Austin at prices that are increasingly hard to find inside the city. The neighborhoods here include a mix of 1960s and 1970s era homes, some with substantial renovations and others in original condition, creating a range of options for buyers at different stages of the home improvement comfort spectrum.

The area benefits from proximity to the Rundberg and Lamar commercial corridors, with grocery stores, restaurants, and everyday services within easy reach. The Domain is a short drive south, putting upscale retail, dining, and entertainment within reach. Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park and Quail Creek neighborhood parks provide green space and trails for outdoor recreation.

Browse all homes zoned to Brown Elementary or homes zoned to Wooldridge Elementary.

Which School Fits You?

This is a comparison where the TEA data creates a clear distinction. But the real estate picture is more nuanced.

You might lean toward Wooldridge if:

• An A rated elementary with 91 out of 100 and triple A domain scores in Achievement, Progress, and Growth is a top priority
• The LASA, McCallum, and Navarro Early College high school pipeline is a significant draw
• You want a larger campus with 810 students and 6 of 7 TEA distinctions

You might lean toward Brown if:

• Your specific home, location, and price matter more than the elementary TEA score
• You plan to access one of the stronger middle or high school feeders from the Brown zone (including Lamar Middle, an A rated campus)
• A smaller campus with 495 students and a close knit community feel is appealing

If I am being completely direct: the Wooldridge zone is the stronger academic pick at the elementary level by a wide margin. And the feeder pattern that follows (Burnet to LASA or McCallum) is arguably one of the best K through 12 trajectories in all of Austin ISD. But both zones are at the same price point, and the Brown zone does offer pathways to strong secondary campuses. Some buyers will choose the Brown zone for the right house on the right street and plan around the elementary years. I have seen it work, but it requires intentionality.

Ready to Find Your Home?

North central Austin school zones are some of the trickiest to navigate because the boundaries weave through neighborhoods that otherwise look and feel identical. One side of a street can be Wooldridge, the other side Brown. That is the kind of detail I help buyers sort out every day. Lets connect and make sure you know exactly what you are buying into.

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