Ed Neuhaus 
Both A Rated, Both Round Rock ISD, Totally Different Vibes
Purple Sage Elementary and Live Oak Elementary both earned A ratings from the Texas Education Agency in 2025, with scores of 91 and 90 respectively. They are both Round Rock ISD campuses, they sit about 3 miles apart, and they serve communities that share the same general stretch of Williamson County. So what actually separates them? More than you might think.
Live Oak serves a significantly more economically diverse student body (45.8% economically disadvantaged vs 23.3% at Purple Sage) and still delivers an A. That is not luck. That is a campus doing serious work with its resources. Purple Sage posts slightly higher raw numbers and has a higher percentage of English Learners (26.3% vs 15.3%), which tells its own story about the community each school anchors. Both schools operate within Round Rock ISD, a district I consistently point buyers toward when they ask me about the strongest school systems in the Austin metro.
Purple Sage vs Live Oak: Quick Comparison
| Purple Sage Elementary | Live Oak Elementary | |
|---|---|---|
| TEA Rating | A (91/100) | A (90/100) |
| Enrollment | 498 students | 391 students |
| Grades | EE through 5th | EE through 5th |
| District | Round Rock ISD | Round Rock ISD |
| Median Home Price | $430,000 | $489,000 |
| Feeds Into | Hopewell Middle → Stony Point HS | Canyon Vista Middle → Westwood HS |
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.
| Performance Metric | Purple Sage Elementary | Live Oak Elementary |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating | A (91/100) | A (90/100) |
| Student Achievement | A (91/100) | B (83/100) |
| School Progress | B (88/100) | A (90/100) |
| Academic Growth | B (88/100) | A (90/100) |
| Closing the Gaps | A (91/100) | A (91/100) |
| Enrollment | 498 students (EE through 5th) | 391 students (EE through 5th) |
| Economically Disadvantaged | 23.3% | 45.8% |
| English Learners | 26.3% | 15.3% |
| TEA Distinctions | 0 of 7 earned | 3 of 7 earned |
Something interesting shows up in the domain scores. Purple Sage outscores Live Oak in Student Achievement (91 vs 83), but Live Oak beats Purple Sage in both School Progress and Academic Growth (90 vs 88 in each). That means Live Oak is doing a better job moving students forward from where they started, which some educators argue is a more meaningful measure of school quality than raw achievement scores. Both earned identical A ratings in Closing the Gaps (91/100).
Live Oak also picked up 3 TEA distinctions while Purple Sage earned none, which is a somewhat surprising result given the similar overall scores. For the full TEA breakdown, visit the Purple Sage school page or the Live Oak school page.
Purple Sage: Solid Scores, Strong Community
Purple Sage serves the east Round Rock corridor, an area that has evolved from scattered rural properties into a genuine suburban community over the past two decades. The campus has a larger enrollment (498 vs 391) and draws from neighborhoods where buyers can still find homes in the low $400s. The Hopewell Middle to Stony Point High feeder pathway keeps students in the Round Rock ISD system through graduation, with Stony Point offering a comprehensive academic and extracurricular program.
The neighborhoods here tend to be newer subdivisions with clean streets and modern amenities. For buyers who want an A rated campus at a more accessible price point, Purple Sage delivers exactly that.
Live Oak: A Growth Engine With a Premium Feeder
Live Oak is one of those campuses that impresses me every time I look at the data. Nearly half the student body is economically disadvantaged, and the school still posts an A with strong growth metrics and 3 distinctions. The campus is smaller (391 students), which typically translates to more individual attention and a tighter community feel. And the feeder pattern is a genuine selling point: Canyon Vista Middle (A rated, 95/100) leads to Westwood High School, consistently one of the top high schools in Texas.
That feeder pathway is why the median price in the Live Oak zone runs about $59,000 higher than Purple Sage. Buyers are paying for the Westwood pipeline. Not going to lie, the value proposition at Live Oak is compelling if you are thinking long term about the full K through 12 experience.
The Neighborhoods
Purple Sage draws from the eastern Round Rock area, where newer development has created communities with modern homes and straightforward access to IH-35 and the employment centers along the highway corridor. The neighborhoods tend to be suburban in character with community parks and walking trails.
Live Oak’s zone sits in a more established part of Round Rock, closer to the Brushy Creek corridor. The homes here include a wider range of ages and styles, from older ranch homes to updated properties that reflect the area’s maturation over time.
Browse all homes zoned to Purple Sage Elementary or homes zoned to Live Oak Elementary.
Which School Fits You?
You might lean toward Purple Sage if:
- You want an A rated campus at a lower median price point
- Newer suburban neighborhoods with modern amenities appeal to you
- The Stony Point High School pathway fits your geographic needs
You might lean toward Live Oak if:
- The Canyon Vista to Westwood feeder pattern is a priority
- You value a campus that excels in academic growth and progress
- A smaller, more established school community is what you are looking for
Honestly, you cannot go wrong with either campus. Both are A rated in the same excellent district. The real differentiator is the high school feeder and the neighborhood character. If Westwood matters to you, Live Oak is the play. If you want similar academic quality at a lower price in a newer community, Purple Sage has you covered.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to Find Your Home?
Both of these zones offer genuine value in one of the best school districts in Texas. I have been helping buyers navigate Round Rock ISD school zones for 19 years, and I know these neighborhoods at a level that only comes from doing this every single day. Lets connect and figure out which zone makes the most sense for your situation.
