Mathews vs Zilker Elementary: TEA Scores and South Austin Homes

The South Austin Elementary That Scored a 96 (and the One Next Door That Scored an 89)

Mathews Elementary earned a 96 out of 100 on the 2025 TEA accountability rating, making it one of the highest performing elementary schools in all of Austin ISD. Zilker Elementary, just a few miles south, scored an 89. Both schools earned A or B ratings. Both sit in some of the most desirable neighborhoods in central Austin. And both draw the kind of engaged, invested community that buyers in this price range expect.

So why does a 7 point gap matter when both schools are clearly performing well? That is actually the question I get asked the most by buyers looking south of the river. The honest answer is that it depends on what you are optimizing for. Mathews posted A ratings across every single TEA domain, including a 96 in Academic Growth, which is borderline ridiculous for an elementary school. Zilker countered with a 93 in Student Achievement, which actually edges out Mathews in that one category. But the overall picture favors Mathews right now, and the trend line backs that up.

I have been selling homes in these neighborhoods for 19 years, and I can tell you the vibe around each campus is genuinely different. Mathews feels like a small, tight community school (366 students) tucked into the Bouldin Creek and South Lamar corridor. Zilker is a bit bigger (506 students) and draws from the neighborhoods right around Zilker Park, which is one of the most recognizable areas in Austin. Both are excellent schools. The decision usually comes down to neighborhood fit and what you want your daily life to look like.

Mathews vs Zilker: 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 biggest gap shows up in Closing the Gaps, where Mathews scored a 95 compared to Zilker’s 81. That is a 14 point spread in the domain that measures how well a school serves all student groups, not just the top performers. Mathews also posted a 96 in both School Progress and Academic Growth, which means students are not just scoring well on assessments but actively improving year over year. Zilker’s Student Achievement score of 93 is actually one point higher than Mathews in that specific domain, so the raw test performance is close. The difference is in how consistently each school is lifting every student.

For the full TEA breakdown on each campus, including rating history and all distinctions, visit the Mathews Elementary school page or the Zilker Elementary school page.

Mathews: The Compact Arts Driven Campus on South Lamar

Mathews is one of the smallest elementary schools in Austin ISD, and that is actually a selling point for a lot of buyers. With 366 students, this campus has a neighborhood school feel that is increasingly rare in a district this size. The school integrates fine arts and music into everyday learning, which is part of the culture here, not just an elective tacked onto the schedule. The parent community is deeply involved (I am talking bake sales, volunteer days, the whole deal) and that energy shows up in the academic results.

The campus sits in the South Lamar and Bouldin Creek area, which means walkable access to restaurants, coffee shops, and parks that most Austin neighborhoods cannot match. This is one of those schools where you see parents walking their kids to campus in the morning and then heading to a coffee shop to work. It is a lifestyle play as much as a school play. And the fact that Mathews goes through 6th grade (instead of the typical 5th) gives residents an extra year before the middle school transition, which some people really value.

One thing worth noting. Mathews has 34.7% economically disadvantaged students compared to Zilker’s 21.5%, and yet Mathews outperforms Zilker in four of five TEA domains. That tells you something real about the quality of instruction happening on this campus.

Zilker: Proximity to the Park and a Strong Academic Track Record

Zilker Elementary sits right in the shadow of Zilker Park, and the neighborhood carries that same outdoor, active energy. The school draws from some of the most sought after addresses in South Austin, including the Barton Hills area and the neighborhoods just west of South Lamar near the Barton Creek Greenbelt. Buyers here are paying for location as much as anything, and the school delivers solid academics to match.

A 93 in Student Achievement is genuinely impressive. That is an A in the domain that measures raw test performance, and it means students at Zilker are performing at a high level on STAAR assessments. The school has 506 students and runs from early education through 5th grade, so it is a more traditional elementary setup than Mathews. Zilker also has just 2.2% English Learners, which is notably low for Austin ISD and reflects the demographics of the surrounding neighborhoods.

The Neighborhoods

The Mathews zone pulls primarily from the Bouldin Creek area and the South Lamar corridor, where you will find a mix of renovated bungalows, modern new builds, and a handful of older homes that have not been touched yet. The median home price in the Mathews zone is $885,000, which reflects the premium buyers pay for walkability and central location. These neighborhoods are close to everything, and they feel like they are part of the city in a way that suburban school zones simply do not.

Zilker draws from neighborhoods clustered around Zilker Park, Barton Hills, and parts of the South Lamar and Barton Springs Road corridor. The median is $725,000, which is $160,000 less than Mathews despite being in equally desirable (and arguably more famous) neighborhoods. That price difference has a lot to do with housing stock and lot sizes, not school quality.

Browse all homes zoned to Mathews Elementary or homes zoned to Zilker Elementary.

Which School Fits You?

Both schools are strong, so this really comes down to priorities and what you want your daily life to look like.

You might lean toward Mathews if:

• You want top tier TEA performance across every domain, not just test scores
• A smaller campus with 366 students and a tight community feel appeals to you
• The extra year (through 6th grade) before middle school is important
• You value walkability to South Lamar restaurants and shops

You might lean toward Zilker if:

• Proximity to Zilker Park and the Barton Creek Greenbelt is a priority
• You prefer a slightly larger campus with 506 students
• The $160,000 lower median home price matters to your budget

If I am being honest, Mathews has the edge on paper right now. A 96 is hard to argue with. But Zilker has posted strong numbers consistently for years, and the neighborhood around it is one of the most iconic in Austin. Either way you are landing in an excellent school zone in the heart of South Austin, and that is not something you can say about very many places in this city.

Ready to Find Your Home?

Choosing between Mathews and Zilker is the kind of decision that looks simple on paper but gets more nuanced once you start touring neighborhoods. I have spent 19 years helping buyers navigate exactly these kinds of school zone decisions in central Austin, and the right answer is always personal. Lets grab coffee and walk through what matters most to you. I will show you what is available in both zones and help you figure out which one fits.

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