Ed 
Why Do Buyers in the North Loop Area Pay More for the Weaker School Zone?
Reilly Elementary holds an overall B rating from the Texas Education Agency. Wooldridge Elementary, a mile to the south, holds an overall F. Both are Austin ISD campuses in the same north central Austin corridor, and yet the closed-sale numbers tell their own story. Over the last 12 months, the median single-family home in the Reilly attendance zone closed at $518,950 across 58 sales. The median in the Wooldridge zone closed at $399,000 across 41 sales. That is a roughly $120,000 spread on a two-letter-grade gap, which is real money but smaller than what you’d expect in many parts of Austin. The neighborhoods here have their own gravity.
I have had this exact conversation with probably 50 buyers over the years. They love the North Loop vibe. The restaurants, the walkability, the vintage shops. And then they look at Wooldridge’s TEA scores and pause. Reilly, just up the road, offers a B rated campus in a neighborhood with similar character. So why does Wooldridge’s zone still command a $399K median when the school is rated F? Location, lifestyle, and the assumption that the school will eventually catch up to the neighborhood. But “eventually” is not a TEA metric, and Wooldridge has been in TEA-driven turnaround status long enough that buyers should weigh it seriously.
Reilly vs Wooldridge: Quick Comparison
| Reilly Elementary | Wooldridge Elementary | |
|---|---|---|
| TEA Overall Rating | B | F |
| Enrollment | 318 students | 348 students |
| Grades | PK through 5 | EE through 5 |
| District | Austin ISD | Austin ISD |
| Median Home Price (12mo closed SFR) | $518,950 (n=58) | $399,000 (n=41) |
| Primary Feeder Path | Lamar MS → McCallum HS | Burnet MS → Navarro Early College HS |
TEA School Performance Comparison
The Texas Education Agency evaluates every public school annually across three performance domains: Student Achievement, School Progress, and Closing the Gaps. Here is how both campuses performed in the most recent accountability cycle, per the Texas Tribune Schools Explorer.
| Performance Domain | Reilly Elementary | Wooldridge Elementary |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating | B | F |
| Student Achievement | B | F |
| School Progress | C | D |
| Closing the Gaps | C | D |
| Enrollment | 318 students (PK–5) | 348 students (EE–5) |
| Economically Disadvantaged | 37.4% | 96% |
| TEA Distinctions (ES max = 6) | Eligible for all 6 | Not eligible (F-rated) |
Reilly outperformed Wooldridge in every domain, with the widest gap in Student Achievement (B vs F). Both campuses landed in the middle on School Progress and Closing the Gaps, but Reilly’s C in those domains still beat Wooldridge’s D. One important note on distinctions: at the elementary level there are 6 possible TEA distinction designations, not 7, and F-rated campuses like Wooldridge are not eligible to earn any of them (TEA 2025 Accountability Rating System). The demographic differences between the two campuses are real (Wooldridge serves a 96% economically disadvantaged population vs Reilly’s 37.4%), but the outcome gap is wider than demographics alone would predict.
For the full TEA breakdown on each campus, visit the Reilly Elementary school page or the Wooldridge Elementary school page.
Reilly: Steady Performance in a Walkable North Austin Zone
Reilly serves 318 students in the Wooten and North Burnet area. The campus is small, the community is tight, and the B rating reflects a school that is doing the work. Reilly is not a campus where the demographics make the job easy, and posting a B in Student Achievement is genuinely strong given the student population it serves.
The school feeds primarily into Lamar Middle School and then McCallum High School. Out of the last 24 months of closed sales in the Reilly zone, more than three quarters of buyers ended up on the Lamar to McCallum pathway. That feeder route is one of the best value pathways in Austin ISD. For buyers who want strong academics from elementary through high school without paying Allandale or Rosedale prices, the Reilly to Lamar to McCallum route is hard to beat.
Wooldridge: An F in a Gentrifying Corridor
Wooldridge has 348 students and sits in the heart of the Wooten and Quail Creek area. The F rating is the issue. The campus has serious instructional work to do, and Austin ISD has identified Wooldridge in its school improvement work. The published Wooldridge Targeted Action Plan lays out the district’s intervention strategy.
Wooldridge feeds into Burnet Middle School. From there, the dominant high school pathway in our closed-sale data is Navarro Early College High School, not McCallum. That is a meaningful difference from the Reilly zone. Some Wooldridge area buyers also end up at LASA, Anderson, or McCallum via transfer or magnet programs, but the default zoned path runs Burnet to Navarro.
The campus’s challenge is instructional, not investment related. The neighborhood around Wooldridge has transformed dramatically, but the school demographics still reflect the older rental stock and affordable housing in the zone rather than the renovated homes and new builds driving the median price up.
The Neighborhoods
Reilly draws from Northfield, Crestview, Brentwood, Silverton Heights, Ridgetop, and The Highlands. The $518,950 median (58 closed in the last 12 months) gets you into 1950s and 1960s ranch homes, some renovated, in a part of Austin that has held its value through every market cycle. The vibe is authentic central Austin without the premium of Rosedale or Allandale.
Wooldridge pulls from Wooten, Jamestown, and the Quail Creek sections north of Anderson Lane. The $399,000 median (41 closed sales) reflects the mix of smaller original homes, condos at Jamestown Place, and the steady stream of renovations and infill that have transformed the area. The North Loop and Burnet Road corridors run right through these neighborhoods, which is a big part of the draw.
Browse all homes zoned to Reilly Elementary or homes zoned to Wooldridge Elementary.
Which School Fits You?
The school data makes this straightforward. The neighborhood character makes it complicated.
You might lean toward Reilly if:
- A B rated campus is important to your decision (Reilly is B overall, Wooldridge is F overall)
- The Lamar Middle to McCallum HS pathway is a draw
- You are comfortable spending roughly $120K more for the stronger TEA performance
You might lean toward Wooldridge if:
- The Burnet Road and North Loop lifestyle is your number one priority
- The $399,000 median price point fits your budget better
- You plan to use a magnet, charter, or transfer pathway and are not relying on the zoned campus
I’d be lying if I said the TEA data does not matter here. A two-letter-grade gap is significant, and an F rating with an active turnaround plan is not a small detail. But I also know that some buyers will choose this corridor over any other neighborhood in Austin regardless of the school scores, and I respect that decision when it is informed. Just make sure you are making it with your eyes open. Reilly is the better school by a wide margin, and it is right up the road.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to Find Your Home?
The North Loop and Wooten corridor is full of surprises when it comes to school zones. I have been guiding buyers through these decisions for 19 years. Lets meet up and figure out which zone fits your life.
Sources: Texas Tribune Schools Explorer (Reilly), Texas Tribune Schools Explorer (Wooldridge), TEA 2025 Accountability Rating System, AISD Wooldridge Targeted Action Plan, ACTRIS MLS via NeuhausRE VOW database (pulled 2026-05-26).
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