Lake Travis ISD vs Dripping Springs ISD: A Real Estate Buyer’s School Guide

I have worked with hundreds of families moving to the Austin area, and the first question is always the same: schools. Not price, not commute, not even the house itself. Schools. And for good reason. The school district you choose affects your home value, your property taxes, and your kids’ experience for the next 12+ years.

If you are looking west of Austin, the decision usually comes down to Lake Travis ISD or Dripping Springs ISD. Both are excellent. Both have strong reputations. And both serve very different communities with very different real estate markets.

So which one is right for you? Lets break it down.

The Big Picture: Two Districts, Two Markets

Lake Travis ISD serves Bee Cave and Lakeway, along with the incorporated communities of Briarcliff and The Hills. LTISD earned an overall “A” rating in the 2025 Texas Education Agency accountability ratings, scoring 90 out of 100 points. The district has 11 campuses serving roughly 9,500 students. Seven of those campuses earned “A” ratings, and four earned “B” ratings in the most recent accountability report.

Dripping Springs ISD serves the town of Dripping Springs and the surrounding Hays County area. DSISD received a “B” rating in the 2022-23 school year, scoring 89 out of 100 points. The district serves over 8,000 students across nine campuses. Five campuses earned “A” ratings (Cypress Springs Elementary, Rooster Springs Elementary, Sycamore Springs Elementary, Walnut Springs Elementary, and Sycamore Springs Middle School), while Dripping Springs Elementary, Dripping Springs Middle School, and Dripping Springs High School received “B” ratings.

Both districts are growing fast. Both are dealing with the challenges that come with that growth. And both have invested heavily in new facilities and programs over the last few years.

The Elementary School Breakdown

Elementary school boundaries matter more than most people realize. A street can be the line between a school with a waitlist and one with available seats. Parents talk. Reputations spread. And home values respond.

Lake Travis ISD Elementary Schools

LTISD has five elementary schools: Lake Pointe Elementary, Lakeway Elementary, Bee Cave Elementary, West Cypress Hills Elementary, and Serene Hills Elementary.

Lake Pointe Elementary is the district’s star. It ranks 104th out of 4,675 elementary schools in Texas and holds a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. Over 80% of students score proficient or better in reading and math. If you are targeting Lake Pointe, expect competition and higher home prices in that attendance zone.

Lakeway Elementary earned an “A” rating with strong scores: 91 in student achievement, 81 in school progress, 87 in closing performance gaps, and 90 overall in post-secondary readiness. The school has 587 students with a 16.5 students-per-teacher ratio. Families love Lakeway Elementary for its community feel and solid academics.

Bee Cave Elementary earned a “B” rating (80-89) with scores of 91 in student achievement, 83 in school progress, 78 in closing performance gaps, and 87 overall in post-secondary readiness. The school has 821 students and a 16.9 student-teacher ratio, which is slightly higher than Lakeway Elementary. Bee Cave Elementary serves a larger, more diverse student body and has seen significant enrollment growth.

West Cypress Hills Elementary and Serene Hills Elementary both serve the growing Hudson Bend and Lakeway Highlands areas. Both schools are relatively new and have modern facilities, but reputations are still being built as the schools mature.

Dripping Springs ISD Elementary Schools

DSISD has five elementary schools: Dripping Springs Elementary, Cypress Springs Elementary, Rooster Springs Elementary, Sycamore Springs Elementary, and Walnut Springs Elementary.

Four of the five elementary schools (Cypress Springs, Rooster Springs, Sycamore Springs, and Walnut Springs) earned “A” ratings in the most recent accountability report. Dripping Springs Elementary earned a “B” rating.

The challenge for DSISD is growth. The district is adding students faster than it can build schools, which has led to overcrowding at some campuses and shifts in attendance zones. The district has been responsive—building new schools and renovating older ones—but growth pressure is real.

Middle Schools: Where Performance Gaps Start to Show

Middle school is where you start to see the differences between individual campuses more clearly. LTISD has three middle schools: Bee Cave Middle, Hudson Bend Middle, and Lake Travis Middle. DSISD has two: Dripping Springs Middle and Sycamore Springs Middle.

Lake Travis ISD Middle Schools

Bee Cave Middle School is one of the top middle schools in Texas, ranking 66th out of 2,361 middle schools statewide in 2023-2024. It earned an “A” rating with outstanding scores: 94 in student achievement, 91 in school progress, 100 in closing performance gaps, and 96 overall in post-secondary readiness. Bee Cave Middle is consistently rated as one of the best middle schools in the Austin area.

Lake Travis Middle School also earned an “A” rating with strong performance: 92 in student achievement, 89 in school progress, 93 in closing performance gaps, and 92 overall in post-secondary readiness.

Hudson Bend Middle School received a “B” rating with scores of 90 in student achievement, 87 in school progress, 87 in closing performance gaps, and 89 overall in post-secondary readiness. Hudson Bend Middle serves the growing Hudson Bend area and has seen rapid enrollment increases.

Dripping Springs ISD Middle Schools

Sycamore Springs Middle School earned an “A” rating and is generally considered the stronger of the two middle schools in DSISD.

Dripping Springs Middle School earned a “B” rating and serves the core Dripping Springs area. Like the elementary level, DSISD middle schools are dealing with growth pressures and shifting attendance zones as new schools come online.

High Schools: Lake Travis vs Dripping Springs

This is where the comparison gets interesting. Both high schools have strong programs, but they have very different identities.

Lake Travis High School

Lake Travis High School earned a state accountability rating of “A” and serves 3,673 students with a 17.7 student-teacher ratio. The school offers more than 200 academic courses, including 25 Advanced Placement courses and 30 Pre-AP/Honors courses. 64% of seniors take at least one AP exam. For the class of 2022-2023, 79% of graduates met TEA’s criteria for college readiness, and the average SAT score was 1,154.

Lake Travis High School is ranked #1,501 nationally by U.S. News & World Report. The school is known for its competitive athletics (especially football), strong fine arts programs, and extensive extracurriculars. The campus is large, modern, and well-funded.

Dripping Springs High School

Dripping Springs High School earned a state accountability rating of “B” (80-89) and serves 2,484 students with a 16.3 student-teacher ratio. The school scored 88 overall in post-secondary readiness. Dripping Springs High School ranks better than 90.1% of Texas high schools according to SchoolDigger.

Dripping Springs High School has a smaller, more close-knit feel compared to Lake Travis. The school offers strong academic programs, competitive athletics, and a reputation for being a community-focused campus. Students and parents often describe DSHS as having a “small-town” vibe, which is exactly what many families are looking for.

What About Eanes ISD?

If you are looking at homes in Bee Cave or West Austin, you may also fall into Eanes ISD boundaries. Eanes ISD is consistently ranked as one of the top school districts in Texas. It serves the Westlake and West Austin areas and has a reputation for academic excellence and competitive programs.

Here is what makes Eanes ISD stand out: the tax rate. Eanes ISD adopted a tax rate of $0.8322 per $100 valuation for fiscal year 2025-26, which is significantly lower than both Lake Travis ISD and Dripping Springs ISD. That is the lowest school tax rate in the Austin area.

Since the inception of the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas, Eanes ISD has received an “A” rating. In the most recent report, Eanes ISD and Lake Travis ISD both scored 94 out of 100 points in the Texas Education Agency’s financial integrity rating system.

If you can find a home in Bee Cave or West Austin that falls within Eanes ISD boundaries, you get top-tier schools and a lower tax rate. That is a rare combination.

School District Tax Rates: What It Means for Your Monthly Payment

Property taxes are the biggest ongoing cost difference between these school districts. Here are the adopted tax rates for fiscal year 2025-26:

Lake Travis ISD has the lowest tax rate in its history at $1.0397 per $100 valuation. Dripping Springs ISD comes in at $1.1052 per $100 valuation, which is 6.55 cents higher than LTISD. Eanes ISD is significantly lower at $0.8322 per $100 valuation.

What does that mean in real dollars? Lets take a look.

These are school district taxes only. You also pay county, city, and other taxing authority rates on top of these amounts. But you can see the difference: a $750,000 home in LTISD costs about $491 less per year in school taxes compared to DSISD. A $750,000 home in Eanes ISD costs about $1,556 less per year compared to LTISD.

School Zoning and Home Values

School boundaries have a real impact on home values. Properties zoned for Lake Pointe Elementary, Bee Cave Middle, and Lake Travis High School often sell for a premium compared to similar homes in other attendance zones. The same is true for homes in Eanes ISD boundaries.

I have seen buyers pay $50,000 to $100,000 more for a home that is in a preferred elementary school zone, even when the homes are nearly identical in size, age, and condition. That is not irrational. It is a reflection of what the market values.

The boundary edges are where things get interesting. There are neighborhoods in Bee Cave and Lakeway where one side of the street feeds into one elementary school and the other side feeds into a different school. Buyers who know the district can find value by targeting homes just outside the most competitive zones, especially if they are willing to bet on a school that is improving.

Private School Options

Not every family chooses public school, and the Bee Cave, Lakeway, and Dripping Springs areas have several strong private school options.

Regents School of Austin is a K-12 classical Christian school with 1,000 students on an 82-acre campus in Southwest Austin. Regents has a strong academic reputation, extensive AP offerings, and a college-prep focus. Graduates consistently matriculate to top universities.

Summit Christian Academy is a PreK-12 non-denominational Christian school located in Cedar Park. Summit serves families in Williamson County and the northern Austin area.

Other private school options in the Lake Travis and Westlake areas include Bluebonnet Montessori School of Lakeway (preschool-3, tuition $14,400-$17,200), Abercorn International School (IB curriculum with a global focus), and Veritas Academy in Dripping Springs.

Families who choose private school often prioritize homes with lower property taxes, since they are paying tuition on top of taxes. That makes Eanes ISD boundaries attractive even if you are not using the public schools.

Which District Is Right for You?

I have been involved with Lake Travis ISD for years through SEPAC (Special Education Parent Advisory Committee), and I have worked with dozens of families navigating both Lake Travis and Dripping Springs schools. Here is how I break it down.

Choose Lake Travis ISD if:

• You want a larger district with more campus options
• You prioritize the highest-rated elementary and middle schools (Lake Pointe, Bee Cave Middle)
• You want extensive AP and extracurricular offerings at the high school level
• You prefer Bee Cave or Lakeway for lifestyle and location
• You value lower property taxes compared to Dripping Springs ISD

Choose Dripping Springs ISD if:

• You want a smaller, more tight-knit community feel
• You prefer the Hill Country lifestyle and the town of Dripping Springs
• You are comfortable with a “B”-rated high school that still outperforms 90% of Texas high schools
• You want more land and a rural setting for your family
• You are betting on continued district improvement as growth stabilizes

Choose Eanes ISD if:

• You want the lowest school tax rate in the Austin area
• You prioritize top-tier academic performance and financial stability
• You are willing to pay higher home prices to access Eanes boundaries
• You prefer the Westlake or West Austin lifestyle

Final Thoughts

Both Lake Travis ISD and Dripping Springs ISD are excellent school districts. You cannot go wrong with either one. The real question is which community fits your family’s lifestyle, budget, and priorities.

I have helped families make this decision dozens of times, and the right answer is different for everyone. Some families prioritize the highest test scores and are willing to pay a premium for homes in the best attendance zones. Other families prioritize space, land, and a slower pace of life, even if it means a slightly lower district rating.

The most important thing is to do your research before you buy. Check the school attendance zone for every home you tour. Visit the schools in person. Talk to parents in the neighborhood. And understand how school taxes will affect your monthly payment.

If you want help navigating the school districts in Bee Cave, Lakeway, or Dripping Springs, reach out to Ed Neuhaus. I know these communities, these schools, and how to find the right home for your family.