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

Two F Rated Campuses at the Same Price Point in North Central Austin

Wooldridge Elementary earned a 59 out of 100 from the Texas Education Agency in 2025, an F rating. Brown Elementary, less than a mile and a half away in the same district, scored the exact same 59 out of 100, also an F. There is no point gap between them at all. Both campuses sit in a part of north central Austin where the 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 serve a very, very different community even when the test scores land in the same place.

I have sold homes in both of these zones over the years, and this comparison is a good 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, with nearly identical TEA results, 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 story here is how similar these two campuses are, not how different. Both landed at an overall 59, an F. Both scored in the low 40s on Student Achievement (Brown 43, Wooldridge 42) and an identical 57 on School Progress. The closest either campus gets to passing is Closing the Gaps, where Brown’s 67 (a D) edges out Wooldridge’s 62 (also a D). Neither campus earned any TEA distinctions, because F rated campuses are not eligible for them.

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 nearly the same: 93.7% and 79.0%. The socioeconomic profiles of these two student populations are almost identical, and so are their results. This is not a case where one campus has better teachers or a worse principal. It is two schools serving communities facing the same scale of challenge, landing in the same place.

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

Wooldridge: An F Rated Campus with a Strong Feeder Pattern

Wooldridge’s elementary scores are well below the passing line, but the feeder pattern that follows is worth understanding because it changes the long term picture. After Wooldridge, students move to Burnet Middle School, then have pathways to three high schools: the Liberal Arts and Science Academy (LASA), which is consistently ranked among the top public high schools in the country; McCallum High School, known across Texas for its 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 buyers thinking 10 to 15 years ahead still look hard at this zone even with the elementary rating where it is.

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 462 students, Wooldridge is a smaller campus. The TEA F rating means it earned no distinctions in the 2025 cycle, the same as Brown.

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 does not create much of a distinction at the elementary level. Both campuses are F rated at 59. So the decision comes down to the house, the street, and the feeder pattern you are buying into.

You might lean toward Wooldridge if:

• The LASA, McCallum, and Navarro Early College high school pipeline through Burnet Middle is a significant draw
• A smaller campus with 462 students appeals to you
• You are buying for the long term feeder pattern more than the current elementary rating

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 school feeders from the Brown zone (including Lamar Middle, an A rated campus)
• The exact house you want sits on the Brown side of the line

If I am being completely direct: at the elementary level these two campuses are a wash. Both are F rated, both serve very similar communities, and both land at the same 59. The real differences show up later, in the feeder patterns. The Wooldridge path through Burnet to LASA or McCallum is one of the more interesting K through 12 trajectories in Austin ISD, while the Brown zone offers pathways to strong middle schools like Lamar. Either way, the elementary years here take intentionality. I have seen buyers make both zones work for their family. It just requires going in with clear eyes.

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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