Ed 
Travis Heights Earned a B from TEA. Sanchez Is a Dual-Language Special Campus. They Are a Mile Apart in South Central Austin.
Travis Heights Elementary scored an 85 out of 100 on the 2025 TEA accountability rating, earning a B (Texas Tribune Schools Explorer). Sanchez Elementary, roughly a mile west, is a school-wide dual language Special Campus and is not rated by TEA in 2025 (TEA Accountability). Both are in Austin ISD. Both serve south central Austin, but they are not academically comparable on a TEA letter-grade basis.
This pair is one I talk about with buyers more often than almost any other, because the neighborhoods overlap in ways that confuse people. You can be looking at a house on South First Street and assume it is in the Travis Heights zone, only to discover it is actually zoned to Sanchez. The two zones command different price points, with Travis Heights commanding a premium over Sanchez. Ask me for live MLS comps before you commit to a price assumption.
Lets break down what makes these two campuses so different and what the neighborhoods actually look like for buyers.
Sanchez vs Travis Heights: Quick Comparison
| Sanchez Elementary | Travis Heights Elementary | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 TEA Rating | Not Rated (dual-language Special Campus) | B (85/100) |
| Grades | EE – 05 | EE – 05 |
| District | Austin ISD | Austin ISD |
| Middle School Feeder | School-wide dual language Special Campus (no standard feeder) | Lively MS (formerly Fulmore MS, renamed 2019-20) |
| High School Feeder | Special Campus — placement varies | Travis Early College High School |
Sources: Texas Tribune Schools Explorer, AISD 2026-27 Feeder Pattern.
2025 TEA Accountability: Travis Heights Elementary
The Texas Education Agency evaluates rated public schools annually across three domains: Student Achievement, School Progress, and Closing the Gaps. School Progress includes Academic Growth as a sub-component (Part A). Sanchez Elementary is a school-wide dual language Special Campus and is not rated by TEA in 2025, so a per-domain comparison is not possible. Here are the 2025 Travis Heights results.
| Performance Domain | Travis Heights Elementary (2025) |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | B (85/100) |
| Student Achievement | C |
| School Progress (incl. Academic Growth) | B |
| Closing the Gaps | C |
Source: Texas Tribune Schools Explorer — Travis Hts Elementary.
Travis Heights earned its B overall by pairing C-level Student Achievement with stronger School Progress. School Progress weights Academic Growth, so the B on that domain means the campus is moving students forward year over year. Student Achievement at C is the relative weak spot, but the growth side carries the rating.
Sanchez Elementary operates as a school-wide dual language Special Campus. Per the Austin ISD 2026-27 feeder pattern document, it does not follow a standard feeder progression, and TEA does not publish a 2025 A-F letter grade for the campus. Reporting from KUT confirms Sanchez is among the AISD campuses included in district-managed turnaround work.
For the full TEA breakdown on each campus, including rating history and all distinctions, visit the Sanchez Elementary school page or the Travis Heights Elementary school page.
Travis Heights Elementary: South Austin’s Academic Bright Spot
Travis Heights Elementary sits in one of Austin’s most iconic neighborhoods. The Travis Heights community is walkable, full of character, and minutes from South Congress, Zilker Park, and Lady Bird Lake. The school draws from a neighborhood that has been one of Austin’s most desirable addresses for generations.
The B rating at 85 overall is strong, and the campus earns it through School Progress, which includes Academic Growth as a sub-component. That means the work happening here goes beyond just maintaining. Home prices in Travis Heights run at a premium, which is about neighborhood prestige, walkability, and lifestyle as much as it is about the school.
Sanchez Elementary: Great Location, Dual-Language Special Campus
Sanchez serves the neighborhoods west of South First Street in the South Austin corridor. The area includes parts of the Zilker Park adjacent neighborhoods and stretches south along the Manchaca Road corridor.
Sanchez is a school-wide dual language Special Campus. The instructional model is different from a standard neighborhood elementary, which is why TEA does not issue a 2025 A-F letter grade for the campus. Per KUT reporting, Sanchez is one of the AISD campuses included in district-managed turnaround work. Buyers considering this zone should review the dual language program with the school directly and plan around the bilingual instructional model.
The Neighborhoods
Travis Heights the neighborhood is one of the crown jewels of south central Austin. Tree lined streets, classic Austin bungalows alongside modern builds, and a walkability score that is hard to match anywhere else in the city. The Sanchez zone covers a broader, more mixed area west of South First, including more affordable pockets along with some premium addresses near Zilker.
Pricing in the Sanchez zone generally runs lower than Travis Heights at the median, so the Sanchez side can be the entry point for South Austin buyers who want central proximity. For buyers who weight school accountability ratings heavily, Travis Heights is the rated B and the more conventional pick. For buyers drawn to the dual language model, Sanchez is the option to investigate directly with the school.
Browse all homes zoned to Sanchez Elementary or homes zoned to Travis Heights Elementary.
Which School Fits You?
You might lean toward Travis Heights if:
- TEA performance matters and you want a B rated campus
- Walkability and the Travis Heights neighborhood lifestyle are priorities
- You want a standard feeder pattern into Lively MS and Travis ECHS
You might lean toward Sanchez if:
- You want a school-wide dual language program and have reviewed the model with the campus
- Proximity to Zilker Park is your priority over a TEA letter-grade comparison
- You need a more affordable entry point in the south central Austin corridor
Travis Heights is the rated B campus with a standard feeder pattern. Sanchez is a dual language Special Campus with no 2025 letter grade and district-managed turnaround work underway. Both zones are in prime south central Austin. I just want every buyer to walk in with their eyes open about what each campus is and how it is structured.
Frequently Asked Questions
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South central Austin school zones require careful attention to boundary lines, and a single block can change your school assignment. I have been helping buyers sort through exactly these kinds of decisions for 19 years. Lets connect so I can help you find the right zone for your priorities.
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