Ed 
Two A Rated Elementaries Southwest of Austin: One AISD, One Hays CISD
Bear Creek Elementary and Carpenter Hill Elementary both earned an A on the 2024-25 Texas Education Agency accountability rating. Bear Creek is in Austin ISD, serving the Circle C and Escarpment area in southwest Austin. Carpenter Hill is in Hays CISD, serving the Buda area south of the Travis County line. Same letter grade, very different districts, very different price points. This guide compares them honestly so you know what you are actually buying.
When buyers ask about A rated elementaries south of the river, these two come up often together. They are roughly 12 miles apart, both sit in the southwest corridor, and both pull from neighborhoods that have grown quickly over the last decade. But they are not in the same school district, and the price gap reflects that. Read the comparison before you tour either zone.
Carpenter Hill vs Bear Creek Elementary: Quick Comparison
| Carpenter Hill Elementary | Bear Creek Elementary | |
|---|---|---|
| TEA Letter Grade | A | A |
| District | Hays CISD | Austin ISD |
| City / ZIP | Buda, 78610 | Austin, 78739 |
| Grades | PK – 05 | PK – 05 |
| Feeds Into | R.C. Barton MS, then Hays CISD high school by zone | Bailey MS, Bowie HS |
| Median Sold Price (trailing 12mo) | ~$360,000 (ZIP 78610) | ~$807,000 (ZIP 78739) |
Letter grades sourced from the Texas Tribune Schools Explorer (Carpenter Hill, Bear Creek). Median sold prices reflect ZIP-level trailing 12-month MLS data from our VOW feed.
TEA School Performance Comparison (2024-25)
The Texas Education Agency evaluates every public school across three published domains: Student Achievement, School Progress, and Closing the Gaps. Per-domain numeric scores are not displayed publicly for individual campuses. Here are the letter grades both campuses earned in the 2024-25 cycle.
| Performance Metric | Carpenter Hill Elementary | Bear Creek Elementary |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating | A | A |
| Student Achievement | B | A |
| School Progress | B | A |
| Closing the Gaps | B | A |
Both schools earned an A overall. Bear Creek earned an A in all three sub-domains. Carpenter Hill earned B grades in all three sub-domains while still ranking A overall. Both are strong campuses, and both have track records that justify the demand for housing in their zones.
For the full TEA breakdown, visit the Carpenter Hill school page or the Bear Creek school page.
Carpenter Hill: A Hays CISD Option in Buda
Carpenter Hill sits in Buda, in Hays County south of Austin. The neighborhoods feeding the school include Sunfield, Stallion Run, Turner’s Crossing, and the Carpenter Hill subdivision itself. Buda’s growth over the last ten years has been driven by buyers who wanted newer construction, more square footage, and a lower per-square-foot price than southwest Austin. The school zone benefits from that influx. At a ZIP-level median around $360,000 over the trailing 12 months, Carpenter Hill is one of the most accessible A rated elementary zones in the broader Austin metro.
Bear Creek: AISD’s Southwest Austin Premium
Bear Creek serves the Circle C Ranch and Escarpment corridor in southwest Austin, inside the Austin ISD boundary and within the Bowie High School feeder pattern. Circle C subdivisions dominate the sales mix, and the trailing 12-month median in ZIP 78739 is roughly $807,000, with Circle C Ranch itself trading closer to $847,500. Buyers here pay the premium for the AISD enrollment, the Bowie pipeline, and the established Circle C amenity package.
The Real Choice: Different Districts, Different Price Points
This comparison is not really about which school is better. Both are A rated. The choice is about which district fits you and what price point you are working with. Austin ISD enrollment, the Bowie feeder, and a Circle C address come at roughly twice the home price of a comparable A rated Hays CISD campus in Buda. Whether that premium is worth it depends on commute, lifestyle, and which middle and high school path matters to you.
Browse all homes zoned to Carpenter Hill or homes zoned to Bear Creek.
Which School Fits You?
You might lean toward Bear Creek if:
- You want Austin ISD enrollment and the Bowie High School feeder pattern
- The Circle C neighborhood and southwest Austin location fit your commute
- You are working with a budget in the $750,000+ range
You might lean toward Carpenter Hill if:
- You want an A rated elementary at a lower entry price (median around $360,000 in ZIP 78610)
- You are open to Hays CISD and the R.C. Barton Middle School path
- Buda’s newer construction and larger lots fit your priorities
Both schools are A rated, both serve growing southwest-corridor neighborhoods, and both have buyer demand that backs up the school quality. The honest distinction is district and price, not academic rating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to Find Your Home?
Southwest-corridor A rated school zones split across two districts, and the price gap between them is one of the biggest in the metro. I have been selling homes in these neighborhoods for 19 years, and I can help you figure out which side of the county line fits you. Let me know when you are ready to start looking.
