Serene Hills vs Valley View: A vs B in the Hill Country

Ed Neuhaus Ed Neuhaus February 13, 2026 5 min read

Serene Hills Is an A in Lake Travis ISD. Valley View Is a B in Eanes ISD. Both Are in the Hill Country Luxury Belt.

Serene Hills Elementary in Lake Travis ISD scored a 91 out of 100 on the 2025 TEA accountability rating. Valley View Elementary in Eanes ISD scored an 87. Both are strong schools in Austin’s premier Hill Country school districts, and both serve neighborhoods where the median home price is well above $800K. This is a luxury market comparison where both options are genuinely good, and the decision comes down to district preference and neighborhood character.

Eanes ISD and Lake Travis ISD overlap geographically in the hills west of Austin, and buyers shopping the Bee Cave, Lakeway, and Westlake corridor often find themselves choosing between the two districts. I have helped buyers navigate this exact decision many times, and the honest truth is that both districts deliver outstanding education. But the TEA data and the neighborhood details do reveal some differences worth knowing.

Serene Hills vs Valley View: Quick Comparison

Serene Hills Elementary Valley View Elementary
TEA Rating A (91/100) B (87/100)
Enrollment 729 students 272 students
Grades EE – 05 EE – 05
District Lake Travis ISD Eanes ISD
Median Home Price $849,250 $1,100,000
Feeds Into Bee Cave MS / Hudson Bend MS, Lake Travis HS Hill Country MS, Westlake 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 Serene Hills Elementary Valley View Elementary
Overall Rating A (91/100) B (87/100)
Student Achievement A (92/100) A (91/100)
School Progress B (88/100) B (83/100)
Academic Growth B (88/100) B (83/100)
Closing the Gaps D (67/100) D (66/100)
Enrollment 729 students (EE – 05) 272 students (EE – 05)
Economically Disadvantaged 7.0% 7.4%
English Learners 5.6% 4.4%
TEA Distinctions 1 of 7 earned 0 of 7 earned

Student Achievement is nearly identical (92 vs 91, both A). The separation comes in School Progress and Academic Growth, where Serene Hills scores 88 (B) compared to Valley View at 83 (B). Both schools have surprisingly low Closing the Gaps scores (D at 67 and 66 respectively), which reflects the difficulty of demonstrating gap closure when virtually all students come from similar backgrounds. Serene Hills earned 1 TEA distinction. Valley View earned none.

Valley View is notably small at just 272 students, which creates a very intimate campus environment. Serene Hills at 729 is more typical in size. Both serve affluent, low need student populations.

For the full breakdown, visit the Serene Hills Elementary page or the Valley View Elementary page.

Serene Hills Elementary: Lake Travis ISD’s Steady Performer

Serene Hills draws from the Bee Cave and Lakeway corridor in Lake Travis ISD. The school feeds ultimately into Lake Travis High School, which has its own strong reputation. At $849,250 median, the Serene Hills zone is expensive by Austin metro standards but actually $250K less than the Valley View zone. You get a higher overall TEA score at a lower price point.

Valley View Elementary: Tiny, Intimate, and Eanes ISD

Valley View is one of the smallest campuses in Eanes ISD at 272 students. That size creates a community school feel that is hard to replicate at a larger campus. The B at 87 is strong, and the path to Hill Country Middle School and Westlake High School is one of the most prestigious K through 12 pipelines in all of Texas. The $1.1M median reflects that Eanes ISD premium.

The Neighborhoods

The Serene Hills zone covers the Bee Cave and western Lakeway growth corridors. The Valley View zone covers the Westlake Hills corridor closer to downtown Austin. Both are beautiful Hill Country settings with luxury homes, excellent amenities, and strong community character. The $250K price gap at the median reflects the Eanes ISD versus Lake Travis ISD premium.

Browse all homes zoned to Serene Hills or homes zoned to Valley View.

Which School Fits You?

You might lean toward Serene Hills if:

  • You want the higher overall TEA score (91 vs 87) at a lower median price
  • Lake Travis ISD and the Bee Cave corridor appeal to your lifestyle
  • You prefer a standard sized campus (729 students)

You might lean toward Valley View if:

  • The Eanes ISD brand and the Westlake HS feeder path are priorities
  • A very small, intimate campus (272 students) is important
  • Proximity to downtown Austin and Westlake Hills matters more than Bee Cave access

Serene Hills is the stronger TEA performer at a lower price. Valley View is the smaller, more intimate campus in the more prestigious district. Both are strong schools in beautiful settings. The district preference and the $250K price gap will likely make this decision for most buyers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Serene Hills Elementary’s TEA rating?
Serene Hills Elementary received an overall A rating with a score of 91 out of 100 from the Texas Education Agency in 2025.
What is Valley View Elementary’s TEA rating?
Valley View Elementary received an overall B rating with a score of 87 out of 100 from the Texas Education Agency in 2025.
What school district are Serene Hills and Valley View in?
Serene Hills is in Lake Travis ISD. Valley View is in Eanes ISD. Both serve the Hill Country west of Austin.
What is the median home price near Serene Hills vs Valley View?
Serene Hills zone median is approximately $849,250. Valley View zone median is approximately $1,100,000.
Do Serene Hills and Valley View feed into the same high school?
No. Serene Hills feeds into Lake Travis High School in Lake Travis ISD. Valley View feeds into Westlake High School in Eanes ISD.

Ready to Find Your Home?

The Lake Travis ISD and Eanes ISD boundary creates one of the most interesting school zone decisions in the Austin luxury market. I have 19 years of experience in this corridor. Lets talk about which district and neighborhood fit your goals.

Schedule a Consultation

Be safe, be good, and be nice to people.

Ed Neuhaus

Written by Ed Neuhaus

Ed Neuhaus is the broker and owner of Neuhaus Realty Group, a boutique real estate brokerage based in Bee Cave, Texas. With 19 years in Austin real estate and more than 2,000 transactions under his belt, Ed writes about the local market, investment strategy, and what buyers and sellers actually need to know. These posts are written by Ed with help from AI for editing and polish. Every post published under his name is personally reviewed and approved by Ed before it goes live.

Learn more about Ed →

Have Questions About This Topic?

Whether you're buying, selling, or investing - I'm here to help you navigate the Austin real estate market.

Schedule a Consultation

Search Homes by Area

Explore properties in Austin's most popular neighborhoods and surrounding communities.